3. In a digital processing system, a method of processing a binary text image to identify and distinguish a location of a first type style wherein said first type style is an italic type style, comprising the step of eroding said binary text image with a first structuring element, wherein said first structuring element comprises a plurality of ON pixels along a first line, said first line at an angle of greater than about 5 degrees from vertical and less than about 25 degrees from the vertical, said structuring element further comprising a plurality of OFF pixels adjacent said first line, to provide a first destination image, said first structuring element more likely to provide a hit in said first region than in said second region, remaining pixels used to identify said location of said first type style, and distinguish said location of said first type style from said second region of said second type style.
3. In a digital processing system, a method of processing a binary text image to identify and distinguish a location of a first type style wherein said first type style is an italic type style, comprising the step of eroding said binary text image with a first structuring element, wherein said first structuring element comprises a plurality of ON pixels along a first line, said first line at an angle of greater than about 5 degrees from vertical and less than about 25 degrees from the vertical, said structuring element further comprising a plurality of OFF pixels adjacent said first line, to provide a first destination image, said first structuring element more likely to provide a hit in said first region than in said second region, remaining pixels used to identify said location of said first type style, and distinguish said location of said first type style from said second region of said second type style. 6. The method as recited in claim 3 wherein said structuring element matches a left edge of italic characters in said image.