1. A method for logically identifying document elements in a document image, comprising the steps of: storing a set of at least one predetermined structural model, each structural model in the set defining relationships between document elements of a corresponding model document; identifying major background regions in the document image: defining relationships between the major background regions in the document image; converting the defined relationships of the major background regions in the document image into nested one-dimensional relationships by selecting coextensive major background regions extending perpendicular to a direction of each level of the nested one-dimensional relationships; hierarchically comparing the nested one-dimensional relationships of the document image with the relationships of each structural model in the set; determining if the nested one-dimensional relationships of the document image match the relationships of at least one structural model in the set; selecting at least one matching structural model if the nested one-dimensional relationships of the document image match the relationship of the at least one structural model in the set to form a matching set of at least one structural model; identifying a most similar matching structural model from the matching set most similar to the relationships in the document image; and assigning appropriate logical tags to identify at least one of the document elements between the major background regions of the document image based on predetermined logical tags assigned to the document elements of the most similar matching structural model.