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Differentiation of Handedness of Writer Based on their Strokes and

Characteristic Features

Article · January 2013

DOI: 10.4172/2157-7145.1000204

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Research Article Open Access

Differentiation of Handedness of Writer Based on their Strokes and

Characteristic Features
Vaibhav Saran*, Suneet Kumar, Gupta AK and Syeed Ahmad
Department of Forensic Science, SHIATS, Allahabad, India

Abstract
Handwriting is a person’s particular & individual style of writing with pen or pencil, which contrasts with “Hand’’
which is an impersonal and formalized writing style in several historical varieties. In the present study 100 samples
of handwriting were collected for the “Identification of handedness of author on the basis of their strokes and
characteristic features’’. Out of 100 handwriting samples, 50 were left-handed writer and 50 were right-handed writer.
The study was carried out at the School of Forensic-Science, SHIATS, Allahabad. Left-handed writing and Right-
handed writing samples were identified on the basis of horizontal strokes and slope and the hypothesis considered
that there is significant difference in left-handed writing and right-handed writing were checked.

Keywords: Handedness; Handwriting strokes; Left and right slope
Introduction
Handwriting is individual style of writing. When any person
writes any letter, firstly the image of letter is cause in his mind and
person tried to write this duplicate image of letter with the help of
materials and hand muscles because our muscles control by the brain
which guide the formation of letter and each vibration of movement
is unconsciously affect the writer. In this study an attempt is made to
differentiate the left handed and right handed writer by the horizontal
stroke and the direction of slope. This is assumed that the Right Handed
writers make strokes from left-to-right and Left Handed writers make
strokes from right-to-left. The Right Handed writing and LH writing
are differentiating by other characters like slope [1,2]. This slope can
be examined in only cursive writing. The Right Handed writers makes
forward slope and Left Handed writers makes backward slope. In the
document cases document examiner eliminate many suspects with the
help of this technique.
The role of probabilities of handwriting characteristics was
recognized over a hundred years ago. However their use in court
testimony is not currently feasible due to the complexity of the
problem. There have been very few efforts to characterize the statistical
characteristics of such features, a notable one being [3].
On the other hand there have been efforts to compute features
automatically but the features tend to be gross approximations of the
characteristics employed or the features do not correspond to human
determined characteristics at all.
Methodology
Total 100 HW samples were collected for this study, 50 were left-
handed writing and 50 were right-handed writing. The collected HW
samples were examined by various type of optical instrument such as
stereoscopic microscope, hand lens, flexible arm illuminated magnifier
and grid scale. The HW samples of LH writing and RH writing was
observed for the characteristic features like strokes and Slope. Direction
cursive writing. For the purpose of this study six letters was selected
like t, l, d, f, g and y. For the measurement of direction of slope a base
line was draw in the bottom of letter and then letter was divided by the
vertical line and measure the direction of slope with the help of grid.
The RH writers makes forward slope and LH writers makes backward
slope.
Results and Discussion
The results are given in detail from Tables 1-4. It is remembered
that the fundamental question behind this project are: “What % of LH
writers and what % of RH writers on the basis of direction of strokes
and slope?’’
Discussion
The results reported here in from Tables 1-4 long with the related
Figures 1-6 emphasizes on the difference between left-handed writer and
right-handed writer it shows that the left-handed writer made strokes
in right-to-left direction and the slope of letters has an inclination in
backward direction where as right-handed writer made stokes in left-
to-right direction and the inclination of slope was in forward direction.
These data of samples were checked by Statistical-Analysis. Significant
P-value supported the hypothesis that there is significant difference in
HW of LH writer and RH writer. Statistical study using various methods
to calculate the probabilities of nearly 1500 writing styles of “and” were
determined and tabulated by Srihari and Ball [4], and suggested scope
of further research in statistical analysis of handwriting.
Summary and Conclusion
In the present study 100 samples of handwriting was taken for the
*Corresponding author: Vaibhav Saran, Department of Forensic Science,
SHIATS, Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh 211007, India, Tel: +915322684012; E-mail:
dr.vaibhavsaran@gmail.com
Received August 27, 2013; Accepted October 30, 2013; Published November
01, 2013

of stroke was examine in which letters having cross bar like t, f, A, I, E,
F has a significant degree of variation in their formation among the LH
writer and RH writer, its been presumed from that the LH writer makes
the horizontal stroke in R-to-L direction in contrast to the RH writer
who write in L-to-R direction. The theory was postulated on hypothesis
and was proved by statistical analysis. The slope was examined in only
Citation: Saran V, Kumar S, Gupta AK, Ahmad S (2013) Differentiation of
Handedness of Writer Based on their Strokes and Characteristic Features. J
Forensic Res 4: 204. doi:10.4172/2157-7145.1000204
Copyright: © 2013 Saran V, et al. This is an open-access article distributed under
the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted
use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and
source are credited.

J Forensic Res
ISSN: 2157-7145 JFR, an open access journal Volume 4 • Issue 5 • 1000204
Citation: Saran V, Kumar S, Gupta AK, Ahmad S (2013) Differentiation of Handedness of Writer Based on their Strokes and Characteristic Features.
J Forensic Res 4: 204. doi:10.4172/2157-7145.1000204

Page 2 of 3

Character Valid samples Total no. of letters R-to-L L-to-R % Statistical analysis
observe R-to-L L-to-R Group Mean SD SEM
Stroke of “t’’ 50 987 692 295 70.11 29.88 1 76.3533 6.4857 2.647
Stroke of “f’’ 26 78 66 12 84.61 15.38 2 23.6383 6.4881 2.648
Stroke of “A” 22 43 32 11 74.44 25.58 Df 10
Stroke of “I’’ 14 32 22 10 68.75 31.25 SED 3.745
Stroke of “E’’ 25 52 43 9 82.69 17.30 Value of t 14.0753
Stroke of “F” 20 49 38 11 77.55 22.44 Value of p P-value is less than 0.0001.
The P value found by t-test is less than 0.0001 which is statistically very significant and it supported the hypothesis that there is significant difference in HW of LH writer
and RH writer
Table 1: Direction of strokes in LH writer.

Character Valid samples Total no. of letters L-to-R R-to-L % Statistical analysis
observe L-to-R R-to-L Group Mean SD SEM
Stroke of “t’’ 50 826 822 4 99.51 0.484 1 99.9183 0.20004 0.08167
Stroke of “f’’ 22 198 198 0 100 0 2 0.08067 0.1975 0.0806
Stroke of “A” 20 69 69 0 100 0 Df 10
Stroke of “I’’ 12 44 44 0 100 0 SED 0.115
Stroke of “E’’ 14 38 38 0 100 0 Value of t 869.7489
Stroke of “F” 15 45 45 0 100 0 Value of p Two the tailed P-value is less than 0.0001.

The P value found by t-test is less than 0.0001 which is statistically very significant and it supported the hypothesis that there is significant difference in HW of LH writer
and RH writer
Table 2: Direction of strokes in RH writer.

Character Valid samples Total no. of letters Backward Forward % Statistical analysis
observe slope slope B.S. F.S. Group Mean SD SEM
Slope in “l’’ 50 117 97 20 82.90 17.09 1 91.5717 6.9426 2.834
Slope in “t’’ 50 95 82 13 86.31 13.68 2 8.433 6.927 2.828
Slope in “d’ 23 63 55 8 87.30 12.69 Df 10
Slope in “f’’ 24 47 45 2 95.74 4.25 SED 4.004
Slope in “g” 34 142 4 138 2.89 97.18 Value of t 20.7645
Slope in “y” 45 87 0 87 0 100 Value of p Two the tailed P-value is less than 0.0001.

The P value found by t-test is less than 0.0001 which is statistically very significant and it supported the hypothesis that there is significant difference in HW of LH writer
and RH writer
Table 3: Slope examination in LH writer.

Character Valid samples Total no. of letters Forward Backward % Statistical analysis
observe slope slope F.S. B.S. Group Mean SD SEM
Slope in “l’’ 50 103 101 2 98.05 1.94 1 92.2217 5.4078 2.2077
Slope in “t’’ 36 129 126 3 97.67 2.32 2 36.1750 44.042 17.980
Slope in “d’ 26 63 55 8 87.30 12.69 Df 10
Slope in “f’’ 28 47 40 7 85.10 14.89 SED 18.115
Slope in “g” 30 73 4 69 5.47 94.52 Value of t 3.093
Slope in “y” 26 43 4 39 9.30 90.69 Value of p Two the tailed P-value is less than 0.0114.

The P value found by t-test is less than 0.0114 which is statistically very significant and it supported the hypothesis that there is significant difference in HW of LH writer
and RH writer
Table 4: Slope examination in RH writer.

R to L Strokes in RHW & LHW

700

600

500
400

LHW RHW 300

RHW
200
LHW
Figure 1: The horizontal strokes in LH writer and RH writer. 100
0

Stroke of Stroke
identification of handedness of writer. The handwriting samples were “t’’ of “f’’
Stroke of
“A”
Stroke of
Stroke of Stroke
collected from graduate, under graduate student of university, college, “I’’
“E’’ of “F”
and office person. The age distribution was 18-30 years. All writers
Figure 2: Distribution of LH and RH writers according to R to L direction of
were asked to write the sample in English language. The motive of this Strokes.

J Forensic Res
ISSN: 2157-7145 JFR, an open access journal Volume 4 • Issue 5 • 1000204
Citation: Saran V, Kumar S, Gupta AK, Ahmad S (2013) Differentiation of Handedness of Writer Based on their Strokes and Characteristic Features.
J Forensic Res 4: 204. doi:10.4172/2157-7145.1000204

Page 3 of 3

study was to determine the difference between left-handed writer and

L to R Strokes in RHW & LHW right-handed writer and from the results reported here in Tables 1-4
concluded that left-handed writer made strokes in right-to-left direction
900
and the slope of letters has an inclination in backward direction where
800
700
as right-handed writer made stokes in left-to-right direction and the
600
inclination of slope was in forward direction. Before the identified
500
the total sample of handwriting, these samples were examined under
400
RHW microscopic magnification. After thorough study these data of samples
300 LHW were checked by Statistical-Analysis. These methods are providing the
200 significant results.
100
References
0
Stroke of Stroke of Stroke of Stroke of Stroke of Stroke of 1. Franks JE, Davis TR (1985) Variability of stroke direction between left and right
“t’’ “f’’ “A” “I’’ “E’’ “F” handed writer. Journal of the Forensic Science Society 28: 353-370.

Figure 3: Distribution of LH and RH writers according to L to R direction of 2. Smart JL, Jeffery C, Richards B (1956) A retrospective of relationship between
Strokes. birth history and handedness at six years. Early Human Development 10: 56-
60.

3. Totty RN, Hardcastle RA (1982) The dependence of slope of HW upon the

handedness of writer. Journal of the Forensic Science Society 27: 237-240.

4. Ball GR, Srihari SN (2011) Statistical characterization of handwriting

characteristics using automated tools. In Proc Document Recognition and
Retrieval.

LHW RHW
Figure 4: Direction of slope in LH writer and RH writer.

Back Ward Slope in LH & Rh Writer

120

100

80

60
LHW
40 RHW

20

0
Slope in Slope in Slope in Slope in Slope in Slope in
“l’’ “t’’ “d’ “f’’ “g” “y”

Figure 5: Distribution of LH and RH writers according to backward slope.

Forward slope in LH & RH Writers

160
140
120 Submit your next manuscript and get advantages of OMICS
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Citation: Saran V, Kumar S, Gupta AK, Ahmad S (2013) Differentiation of Handedness • Authors, Reviewers and Editors rewarded with online Scientific Credits
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of Writer Based on their Strokes and Characteristic Features. J Forensic Res 4: 204.
doi:10.4172/2157-7145.1000204 Submit your manuscript at: http://www.omicsonline.org/submission

J Forensic Res
ISSN: 2157-7145 JFR, an open access journal Volume 4 • Issue 5 • 1000204

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