QUESTIONED

What is document?
A document is an original piece of written or printed matter conveying information or evidence. It
may include photograph, plates or lithographs, as well as writing, figures, marks or printed matters.
Any written, printed or type material is considered a document. When it is introduced as evidence,
it is known as documentary evidence.
The term document came from the Latin word “ documentum”, which means lesson, or example. It
may have been derived also from the French word “docere” means to teach.

Kinds of Document
1. Public document
A document created, executed or issued by a public official in response to the exigencies
of the public service, or in the execution of which a public official intervened.
2. Official document
A document which is issued by a public official in the exercise of the functions of his
office. An official document is also a public document. It falls within the larger class called
public document.
3. Private Document
Every deed or instrument executed by a private person without the intervention of a notary
public or of any person legally authorized, by which the documents some disposition or
agreement is proved, evidenced or set forth.
4. Commercial Document
Any instrument defined and regulated by the Code of Commerce or any other commercial
law.
5. Electronic Document (E-Document)- exist only in electronic form such as data stored on a
computer, network, back-up, archive or other storage media.

What is Questioned Document?

It is a document or paper/s whose contents have been contested either in whole or in any part as
to their authenticity. Thus, if the origin of a document is unknown or its authenticity is in doubt the
article is considered a “questioned document.”
A document is questioned when there is a controversy over its preparation, contents and other
circumstances surrounding it.

Questioned Document Examination

Is a term used to refer to the act of making a close and critical study of any document which is
questioned, disputed or attacked, necessary to discover the facts about them.

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 QUESTIONED

Two Division of QDE

1. Criminalistics Examination. This involves the detection of forgery, erasure, alteration or obliteration
of documents.
Dr. Wilson Harrison, a noted British Examiner of questioned documents said that an intelligent
police investigator can detect almost 75% of all forgeries by careful inspection of a document
with simple magnifiers and measuring tools.
2. Handwriting Investigation/Analysis. This is more focused in determining the author of writing. It is
more difficult procedure and requires long study and experience.

Scientific Examination of QDE

 Analysis (Recognition) - properties or characteristics, observed or measured.
 Comparison – Properties or characteristics of the unknown determined thought analysis are
now compared with the familiar or recorded properties of known items.
 Evaluation- Similarities or dissimilarities in properties or characteristics will each have a certain
value for identification, determined by its likelihood of occurrence. The weight or significance of
each must therefore be considered.

Classes of Questioned Document

Documents are questioned, disputed, and attacked on different reason. However, for purposes of
discussion, Albert Osborn classifies questioned paper as follows:
1. Documents with Questioned Signatures
2. Documents containing Alleged Fraudulent Alteration
3. Holograph Document Questioned or Disputed
4. Documents Attacked on the Questioned of their Date and Age
5. Documents Attacked on the Questioned of Materials Used in their Production
6. Documents that Identify the Handwriting
7. Genuine Documents Erroneously or Fraudulently Attacked
8. Documents to Identify Typewriting

Fraudulent Alteration on Documents

What are fraudulent alterations on documents?
1. Mechanical Erasures
Mechanical Erasures are alteration that produce an abrasion on the paper. The abrasion makes
the paper porous by disturbing the fiber arrangement and by removing the coating and sizing from
the surface of the paper.
2. Chemical Erasure
QUESTIONED
When skillfully done, chemical erasures are difficult to detect by ordinary observation, but such
erasures to leave their mark. Chemical eradicators have a tendency to stain paper. Chemically
erase writing may be detected by the use of ultraviolet light or use of infra-red photography.
3. Additions
In this type of case, new pages of writing, typewriting or printing may be inserted. Perhaps only a
few lines are added to alter the original meaning of the document. It becomes the problem of the
investigator to establish the authenticity or fraudulence of the addition.
4. Interlineation
An interlineation is the writing between the lines of an instrument for the purpose of adding a part to
it or correcting what has been written.
5. Substitution
It is another kind of fraudulent alteration that is committed when an entire page has been remove
from an instrument and has been replaced by another piece containing matters different from those
of the remove page.
6. Obliteration
The blotting out or smearing over of writing to make the original invisible or undecipherable.

Aspects of QDE

- Handwriting Examination (Graphology/Graphoanalysis)

- examination of signatures and initials
- examination of anonymous letters
- hand printing examination
- Examination of Typewritings and typeprints.
- Examination of Inks
- Examination of Erasures, alterations or obliterations, etc.
- Detection of alteration
- Decipherment of erased writings
- Restoration of obliterated writings
- Counterfeiting
- Examination of currency bills and coins and the like
- Examination of fake documents
- Miscellaneous aspects
- Determination of age of documents
- Identification of stamps
- Examinations of seal and other authenticating devices

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 QUESTIONED

Instruments used in QDE

 Stereoscopic Miscroscope
The stereoscopic microscope, two low-powered microscopes arranged to converge on a single
specimen, provides a three-dimensional image.

 Compound Miscroscope
The compound microscope uses two lenses, an objective lens and an ocular lens, mounted at
opposite ends of a closed tube, to provide greater magnification than is possible with a single lens.
The objective lens is composed of several lens elements that form an enlarged real image of the
object being examined.

 Shadowgraph
An instrument that the images are cast in shadow, an image of a shape made by casting a shadow
onto a surface

 Handwriting Protractor
An instrument for measuring angles: an instrument shaped like a semicircle marked with the
degrees of a circle, used to measure or mark out angles.

 UV Lamp
This is usually used in the detection of counterfeited bills but can actually be used to detect security
features of qualified documents.

 Transmitted Light
a device where light comes from beneath or behind glass on document is placed.

 Photo- enlarger
A device used to enlarge negatives and transfer the image to the photo paper.

 Forensic Comparator
An instrument which captures images and projects them on a black and white screen for
enlargement purposes.

 Electro- Static Detection Device

An Electro Static Detection Apparatus is used to visualize indentations by applying an electrostatic
charge to a transparent film. The film is laid across the page in question and once the charge has
been applied, black toner is passed across the film and reveals any indentations. This method can
also determine if something has been added to a journal or log after the original entry was made

 Video Spectral Comparator

QUESTIONED
is used to analyze inks and see whether they are the same or different. This is done by looking at
them under different lighting conditions where some wavelengths of light are blocked. This
technique can uncover layers in documents where words have been scribbled out or written over

 Thin Layer Chromatography

is used to do a more thorough analysis of ink. The ink is mixed with chemicals and deposited onto
a silicate plate where its constituents can be measured

 Infrared Reflectance
is used to show the residue of pencil marks. This can be done clearly even if the writing has been
erased. Pencils are made of graphite which is a form of carbon – and this absorbs infrared light
well

 Magnifying Lens
For increased magnification

 Camera with Macro Lens

To capture the handwriting sample and enlarge the same for court presentation.

What is signature?

It is one’s name written by himself on a document as a sign of acknowledgement.

Classes of Disputed Signature

1. Forged signature where no attempt has been made to make a copy or facsimile of the genuine
signature of the person purporting to have signed the document. This is commonly referred as “ simple
forgery”.

2. Forge signature which closely resembles the genuine signature since they have been produced by
tracing process referred to as “traced forgery”.

3. Forged signature which resembles the genuine signature written freehand, commonly known as
“copied or simulated forgery”.

4. Forged signature of fictitious persons

5. Genuine signature that the writer is honestly unwilling to accept as genuine

6. Genuine signature obtained by trickery

7. Genuine signature deliberately written illegibly or in an unusual manner to avoid identification

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Techniques in the Examination of Questioned documents

Microscopic Examination – Stereoscopic examination with low and high power objectives is used to detect
retouching, patching and unnatural pen lift in signature analysis. With proper angle and intensity of
illumination, it aids in the decipherment of erasures, some minutes manipulation not perfectly pictured to
the unaided eye and the sequence of entries done by different writing instrument. A stereoscopic
microscope is being used in this examination which gives a three dimensional enlargement of objects.

Transmitted Light Examination – Documents are subjected to this type of examination to determine the
presence of erasures, matching of serration and some other types of alteration.

Oblique Light Examination / Indirect Lighting Examination

Decipherment of faded handwriting, determination of outlines in traced forgery, embossed impression, etc.
are subjected to this type of examination.

Indirect Lighting Equipment is being used in this examination, this equipment has a controlled illumination;
wherein the document is viewed with source of illumination beside it and the light is coming thru the paper.

Photographic Examination – This type of examination is very essential in every document examination.
Actual observations are recorded in the photography.

Ultra-Violet Examination – This type of examination is done in a darkroom after the lamp has been warmed
up in order to give a maximum output of the ultra-violet light. Exposure to the ultra-violet light should be to
the minimum duration in order to avoid fading of some writing ink and typewriter ribbon. The exposures of a
document to ultra-violet light is useful when it consists of several pages and substitution is being suspected.
The color and intensity of fluorescence reaction is very apparent in case of a substituted page. Mechanical
and chemical erasures will certainly change the reflectivity and fluorescence of the area affected.

Electrostatic Detection Apparatus – Detects indention/ indented writings. Records transparencies of any
indentations.

Video Spectral Comparator (VSC) Examination - Used in the examination of masked or obliterated text,
watermarks, visible fluorescence, paper fluorescence and oblique illumination of indented writing and
embossing. Detects variation in the infra-red characteristics of inks. Reveals alterations by eliminating and
interfering background luminescence.

Photomicrographs are an improvement of the usual enlarged photograph, because in the process of
enlargement many of the characteristics are minimized. The photomicrograph is a direct enlargement of the
specimen in a single operation. Ultraviolet light may be used to bring out otherwise invisible details.

Type angle measurement - It is to measure the angle or degree of mal-alignment in horizontal of a

typewriter.
QUESTIONED

The Study of Handwriting

Basic Terms in Handwriting

 Writing – result of a very complicated series of acts, being as a whole a combination of certain
forms, which are very visible result of mental and muscular habits, acquired by long, continued and
painstaking effort.
 Handwriting – is a visible effect of bodily movement, which is an almost unconscious expression of
certain ideas associated with script form.
 System of Writing – is the combination of basic designs of letters and writing movements as taught
in school.
 Natural Writing – is any specimen of writing executed normally without any attempt to control or
alters its identifying habits and its usual quality of execution.
 Disguised Writing – is a way of writing in which the writer deliberately tries to alters his usual writing
habits to conceal his identity.
 Cursive Writing – is a style of writing in which the letters are for the most part joined together.
 Hand Lettering – is any disconnected style in which the letters are written separately.
 Holograph Documents – is a document which is completely written and signed by one person.
 Signature – is one’s name written by himself on a document as a sign of acknowledgment.
 Writing Habit – is any repeated element or detail that may serve to individualize writing.
 Significant Handwriting – is a term applied to any characteristics of handwriting which is sufficiently
unique and well-fixed to serve as a fundamental point in the identification of a writer.
 Characteristics – is any property or mark which distinguishes and, in questioned documents
examinations, commonly refers to identifying details.

TWO KINDS OF CHARACTERISTICS

CLASS CHARACTERISTICS – ARE IDENTIFYING DETAILS WHICH ARE COMMON TO A GROUP.

INDIVIDUAL CHARACTERISTICS – ARE CHARACTERISTICS WHICH ARE HIGHLY PERSONAL AND

ARE UNLIKELY TO OCCUR IN OTHER INSTANCES.

Development of Handwriting
1. When a person first begins to learn the art of handwriting, penmanship copybook form or blackboard
illustration of the different letters is placed before him. The first step is one of imitation or a process of
drawing, painstaking, laborious and slow copying of the letter forms. The forms of each letter, at first,
occupy the focus of his attention.
2. As the person progresses, the matter of forms recedes, and the focus of attention is centered on the
execution of various letters, that is, they are actually writing instead of drawing.
3. The manual operation in the execution of letters, after more progress, is likewise soon relegated to the
subjective mind and the process of writing becomes more or less automatic. As the person attains maturity
in writing by any repetitions, writing becomes an unconscious coordinated movement that produces a
record. Attention is no longer given to the process of writing itself because the subject matter to be written
now occupies the focus of attention.
The manner in which writing is produced is shown by itself, that is, the appearance of the writing strokes
will indicate where attention was focused in the writing process.

Physiological Basis of Handwriting

The hand contains two groups of muscles which function in the act of writing.
A group of extensor muscles pushes up the pen to form the upward strokes and ease the tension produced
as a result of flexion by a group of muscles called as flexor muscles which pushes down the pen to form
downward strokes.

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 QUESTIONED

These muscles are combined with lumbrical muscles to form the lateral strokes.

Four groups of muscles are employed in writing

Those which operate the joints of the fingers; wrist; elbow; and shoulder.
The delicate way in which the various muscles used in writing work together to produce written forms is
known as “motor coordination”

Various Elements of Handwriting

A. Movement/manner of Execution – is related to the handling position of the writing instrument that creates
certain types of motion affecting the quality of the writing; the skill, speed, freedom, hesitations, tremors,
line quality and alignment.
Kinds of Movement /manner of Execution –
1. Finger movement –
this is accomplished by using the thumb, the first and slightly the third fingers which are in actual motion.
employed by children and illiterates
results: poor quality; lack of rhythm and speed, letters are cropped
- Limited in scope, cramp in manner
- Most are vertical writing; slow and labored speed
- Connecting strokes are irregular
- Contains numerous broad curves
- Lacks of freedom, clear cut, smooth and graduated strokes
2. Hand movement/Wrist movement–
Action comes from the wrist with the combination of fingers.
The wrist is the center of action, but with some action of the fingers
Results: regularity of lines and considerable speed.
- The tops and bottoms of letters are narrow and angular
- Writing is often illegible, although rapid
- Alignment is uneven
- Tendency to go upward
- It has greater freedom compared to finger movement
3. Whole arm movement–
This is actually the movement of the shoulder, hand and arm with the support of the table.
The center of the action is the elbow
Results: artistic design, similar to blackboard writing
- The stroked are generally rhythmic, symmetrical and clear cut
- Rapid and clear
- Written with greater fluency and straight forwardness
- Alignment is often straight and elongated
- Rounded and lateral strokes sharply tapered

4. Forearm movement–
Letters are form due to the action of the elbow, forearm resting on the writing surface
Results: clear cut, fine quality, regular gradations of heavy and light pressure.
- Longer and embellished strokes
- Letters are usually larger in size

B. Quality of Movement – may be categorized into:

1. clumsy, illiterate and halting;
2. hesitating and painful due to weakness and illness;
3. strong heavy and forceful;
4. nervous and irregular, smooth, flowing and rapid, depending upon the motion of the writing
instrument and the manner of execution.
The different movements the writer employed affect writing in its;
- Smoothness
- Directness
QUESTIONED
- Uniformity
- Continuity of strokes
- Connecting or curves between letters

C. Speed of Movement – the examiner should be able to identify and categorize the writer’s speed of
movement
Categorized as:
- slow and drawn;
- deliberate;
- average and
- rapid

Recognition of Writing Characteristics

1. Form – this refers to the shape and design of the individual letters.
The following should be considered as to the factors of form:
- Mere similarities in form are not sufficient indication of identity.
- Basic differences in form of letters are indications of two writings being made by different writers
Individual concept of letter form is introduced for the following reasons:
- The endeavor to attain a highly individualized writing
- An effort to make writing simpler and easier
- To acquire greater speed
2. Slope or slant – is an angle or inclination of the axis of letters relative to the baseline.
- The slope may be forwardly done; backwards or even vertical sloping.
- Deliberate alteration of slope will greatly affect the rhythm and fluency of the writing.
- A slight persistent difference in slant or slope in two writings are by two different writers, while a
pronounced difference might be the result of intended disguise.
3. Size – it is somewhat divergent under varying condition and may have but little significance when applied
to only one example, or to small quantity of writing.
In a number of signatures which are claimed to have been produces at different times are in question and
they are like each other in the matter of size, divergence becomes significant in proportion to its extent.
4. Proportion – of a letter or relative height of one letter to another letter can be found in different writings. It
is one hidden features of writing. It is unknown even to the writer. The average height of a letter remains
constant relative to that of other letters even if the size of writing is changed. To deliberately change the
size of writing may be simple matter. Proportion characteristics become significant as a factor of
identification.
5. Ratio – the relation between the short and tall letters.
Letters of the alphabet are divided into two groups
Letters written entirely between the lines are called as short (a,c,e,i,m,n,o,r,s,u,v,w,x)
Letters with upper or lower loops or other projected portions are classified as tall (b,d,f,g,h,j,l,p,t,y,z)
The length of the upper and lower loops of the tall letters is twice the length of the short letters.
The ratio that approximates to that prescribed by the ordinary copybook form is termed as normal.
If the tall letters have loops longer than the height of the short letters, the ratio is described as “high”,
otherwise the ratio is “low”.
When the ratio conforms to the ordinary copy book form, it is considered as common or style
characteristics.
When the specimen signature have similar ratio, this fact alone cannot be considered to have one
authorship.
However, when two specimen signatures have widely different ratio, they are unlikely to have been written
by the same person.
6. Connecting Strokes – it refers to the strokes of links that connect a letter with the one following.
In signatures, it is a common practice.
In writing, many writers habitually drop the connection before certain letters.
This particular peculiarity in disconnections may occur in connection with any letter and when this shows
consistency in certain writing; it assumes an importance of high significance in writing identification.

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 QUESTIONED

Most writers have fixed habit as to the nature and placement of their connecting strokes and they are of
evidential value when they diverge widely between two signatures.
7. Initial and Terminal Strokes
When a letter, word or name is completed in a free, natural writing, the pen is usually raised from the paper
while in motion with a “flying finish” or referred as “vanishing”, “tapering” or “flourishing” terminal strokes.
The motion of the pen also slightly precedes the putting of the pen on the paper at the beginning with a
“flying start” so that the strokes at the beginning and end of words gradually diminish or taper t a “vanishing
points”
8. Pen Lift – means an interruption in a stroke caused by removing the pen from the paper.
Also known as disconnections between letters and letter combinations are maybe due to lack of movement
control.
Those persons who write clumsily or difficulty, the pen is raised frequently to new adjustment to make a
fresh start.
It has little significant value because their frequency and location are largely governed by several
conditions:
- slow and carefully executed writing may have so many pen lifts
- rapidly done writing will exhibit no pen lift except at the ends of the words
Similarities here are not significant indications of identity of two writings except in combination with other
characteristics.
Numerous dissimilarities in this practically unconscious characteristic are strong evidence of lack of identity.
It is one of those inconspicuous and unconscious characteristics. This is strong evidence of lack of identity.
Forged writings how too many pen lifts at wrong places.
9. Hiatus – is a gap between strokes due to speed in writing and defective writing instruments.
Most people have no fixed writing habit regarding the inclusion of hiatus.
It is common to find a slowly written specimen handwriting of a particular handwriting of particular writer
with several gaps, while another specimen written shortly afterwards is practically devoid of hiatuses.
9. Hiatus – these are included or omitted in the handwriting according to the whim of the writer.
10. Lateral Spacing – is considered as a common characteristic when it conforms to the ordinary copy book
form.
Wide spacing, cramping of letters ---personal characteristics of some value.
In signatures; when both the first name and surname are written, most writers have fixed habits in spacing.
It remains constant even when the handwriting or written in rather limited spaces.
Some prefer to reduce the size of their writing to an almost to an almost illegible manner, rather depart from
the usual word spacing habit.
Lateral Spacing: a. space between letters; b. space between words and words & c. space between lines
and lines
11. Shading – it is the widening of the ink strokes with increase pressure on the paper surface.
It is due to the spitting of the pen – nib resulting in the widening of the ink lines as controlled by the
variation in pressure of fine and delicate lines is more specifically referred to as “unconscious emphasis”.
A forger will have a difficult times in properly putting the shading in a writing that will often results to
retouching of inclines.
With adoption of ballpoint pen wherein the width of the inclines is not affected by change of pressure,
shading is rare.
11. Shading – difference between the thickest and the finest and thinnest strokes
12. Line Quality – refers to the visible record in the written stroke of the basic movement and manner of
holding the writing instrument.
This quality of a visible record is derived from a combination of factors: writing skills speed, rhythm,
shading, pen pressure, pen position & freedom of movement.
Recognition of Writing Characteristics
It is the overall character of the written strokes from initial to terminal.
A signature will either have a good or poor line quality depending upon the reflex movement of the hand
and arm of the writer.
Good line quality is produced when the writer concentrate his attention on what he is writing than on how
the pen point is being moved.
QUESTIONED
When a writer concentrate his attention on the movement of his pen point, reflex movement are retarded,
lines are irregular and there will be no smoothness.
13. Alignment – is the relation of the parts of the whole line of writing or line of individual letters in words or
signature to the baseline.
A signature is written in a more florid style and often associated with greater degree of misalignment of the
letters.
Persistent errors in the alignment of letters in a signature often considered as individual characteristics.
14. Rhythm – it is the balanced quality of movements of the harmonious recurrence of stress or impulse.
It is the flowing succession of motion that is recorded in written record.
It produced a natural and not a constrained or an artificial result.
Rhythm is a flowing hand (skillful, artistic writing ability)or coordinated succession of movement impulses
that guide into each other with rhythm.
A signature executed with fluency and done by the reflex movement will have good rhythm, otherwise it will
possess poor rhythm.
The essentials of this are: 1. regularity of slope; 2. regularity of size and 3. regularity of curvature
15. Writing Skill – it is the relative degree of ability of a writer’s proficiency.
These are dependent upon many factors, manual dexterity being the most important of them.
Manual dexterity is either inherent or acquired.
Dexterity – skills in using hands.
The bases upon which skill (pleasing pictorial aspect of writing) is judged are:
- legibility
- symmetry
Skill is usually classified as poor; medium & good.
16. Pen Pressure – it is the average force in which the pen makes contact with the paper or the usual force
involved in writing.
It is one of the most personal but hidden characteristics in writing.
It is accurately describes as the proportions of strokes to each other in width as affected by shading & by
unconscious emphasis
Delicate, controlled pen pressure accompanies developed habitual rhythm that gives to writing its vitality or
life.
In combined qualities, rhythm and pen pressure in writing there often is free, harmonious movement and a
certain springy, varying pen pressure which produces clear cut accentuated strokes that increase and
decrease in width & especially start and terminates in vanishing points with the pen in motion.
17. Tremors – means “deviations from uniform strokes due to lack of smoothness perfectly apparent even
without magnification”.
Lack of muscular skill with the pen is usually describes as tremor and is shown by:
Lack of uniformity of speed in making pen strokes
Pen stops
Involuntary horizontal and vertical movements---zigzag in character
Involuntary pen pressure --- “vertical tremor” ---is the involuntary up and down movements or changing
pressure which produces a line of varying width or intensity as the pressure is suddenly increased or
diminished.
Kinds:
A. Genuine Tremors: 1. tremor of age; 2. tremor of illiteracy & 3. tremor of weakness
B. Tremor of Fraud
Tremor of age, illiteracy and of weakness are not always distinguishable from each other but can always be
distinguished from that of fraud
Genuine tremor – natural tremor, being involuntary, is apt to be comparatively uniform on similar parts of a
letter.
Tremor of Age/Weakness – 1. shows unusual and erratic departures of the line from each intended course;
2. abrupt recovery; 3. general indication of muscular weakness and of movements beyond the control of the
writer particularly in downward strokes; 4. shows awkward digressions/distortions which may be due to
imperfect sight; 5. abbreviations or even omission of parts of letters, or even whole of it.

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 QUESTIONED

Tremor of Illiteracy – characterized by general irregularity that is not due to weakness but to lack of skills
and mental uncertainty as to the form and a general clumsiness resulting from unfamiliarity with the whole
writing process. Omissions here are not uncommon. Changes of direction are not apt to be numerous as in
tremors or age/weakness.
Tremor of Fraud – fraudulent writing which is drawn even thought quite perfect in general form shows, little,
if any, freedom and will often show hesitation at places where tremor is wrongly placed.
Characteristics: inequality of movement at any place in stroke or line with strokes too strong and vigorous
combined with weak, hesitating strokes; frequent interruption in movement; unequal distribution of ink on
upward as well as in downward strokes; varying pen pressure.
Tremor of Fraud – shows a painstaking and unnatural care at every point that indicates an effort to follow
an unfamiliar copy.
In imitation of a writing that is excessively weak and hesitating, the imitation in some parts shows an
inconsistent strength and firmness and indicates that the writing is not genuine.
18. Natural Variations –
Due to lack of machine-like precision of the human hand;
Caused by external factors---writing instrument/position;
Influenced by mental and physical condition---fatigue, intoxication, illness, nervousness and the age
Due to quantity of the writing prepared in the course of time;
Variation in genuine signature appears in superficial parts and does not apply to the whole writing process.
The degree of care given to the act of writing creates variation.
Change of slope and the size pf the signature superficially affect the appearance of the signature.
The nature and extent of the variation of the letter design depend on the location: initial, medial & terminal.
No two individual will exhibit similar master pattern of the same for all letters.
The range of variation of letter design is not the same for all letters; small letters such as “i,e,o” have limited
variation because any appreciable modification of the design will render letter illegible.
19. Rubric or Embellishment – refers to additional unnecessary strokes not necessary to legibility of
letterforms or writings but incorporated for decorative or ornament purposes.
It is usually added to signatures for “pleasing appearance”.
This serves as “security” to make signature more difficult to imitate or forge.
Recognition of Writing Characteristics
20. Hesitation – the irregular thickening of the ink when the writing slows down or stops while the writer
takes stock of the position.
21. Arrangement – the relation of the letters and characters with each other.
The system of arranging the word, sentences and paragraphs become so unconscious and automatic that
it serves to identify the writing of a particular person.
Recognition of Writing Characteristics
22. Re-touching – may mean to repeat the contact previously made on the handwriting.

Principles of Identification of Handwriting

1. No two writers write exactly alike.
2. The physical writing condition and position of the person including his writing instrument may affect
the handwriting characteristics but they do not confine all its identifying elements
3. A writer cannot exceed his maximum writing ability or skill without serious effort and training
applied over a period of time.
4. The combination of handwriting characteristics including those derived from form and writing
movements are essential elements of identification.
5. Individuality in handwriting can only be determined through comparative examination with the
standard written prepared under comparable conditions.
6. Similarity does not mean identity.
7. Complete identity means definite forgery.
8. A. A writing was written by one person when there is a sufficient number of identical writing habits
and identical writing habits and identical primary controlling characteristics and in addition, the
absence divergent characteristics.
B. A writing was not written by one person when there is a sufficient number of divergent writing
characteristics and the absence of identical primary controlling characteristics.
QUESTIONED

DEFINITION OF TERMS
ABSENT CHARACTER- a character in which it is present in one body of writing but is not present in
another body of writing.

ACCIDENTAL CHARACTERISTICS- a single occurrence of a characteristics which is outside the range of

variation of the writer.
ALIGNMENT- it is the relation of the successive characters of a word, signature or line of writing to an
actual or imaginary base line.
ALTERED DOCUMENT- It is a document that contains change either as an addition or a deletion.
ANGULAR FORMS- it is sharp, straight strokes that are made by stopping the pen and changing directions
before continuing.

ARCADE FORMS- forms look like arches rounded on the top or at the bottom.

ASCENDER- it is the top portion of the letter.

BASELINE- maybe actually an imaginary alignment of writing or the line in which the writing rests.
BOW- it is a vertical curve stroke as seen capital letters.

BOWL- it is a fully rounded oval or circular form on a letter complete into “O”.

BRAILLE- it is a system representing a letter, numerals, etc. that is read by a visually impaired person by
touch.
CHARACTER- it is any letter, numeral, punctuation mark, symbol that will be found at a document.
CHARACTERISTICS- it is any property, element, feature or marks of one’s handwritings such as, letter
formation, relative size and heights of letters.
CHARRED DOCUMENT- it is document that has become blackened through burning or through exposure
to excessive heat.
COMPARISON- it is the act of setting two or more items side by side to weigh their identifying qualities.
CONNECTION- it is the combination of writing strokes to form letters or words.

DESCENDER- it is the lower portion of the letter.

DEVIATIONS- these are normal or usual variations found in repeated writings of an individual.
DISGUISED WRITING- it is when a writer may deliberately try to alter his usual writing habits in hopes of
hiding his identity.
DISSIMILARITY- it is a characteristic in one body of writing which is pictorially and/or structurally not the
same from the corresponding characteristics in another body of writing.

DOWNSTROKE- it is the movement of the pen towards the writer.

ELIMINATION- it is a definite conclusion that the questions and known writings were not written by the
same person.

EMBELLISHMENT- these are grace lines, flourishes, or beautiful strokes useful only for ornamentation and
not essential in the legibility of writing.

EXEMPLARS- standards is its older term.

FINAL- It is the ending stroke on a letter when it is at the end of a word.

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 QUESTIONED

FORM – it is the writers chosen writing style.

GOOPING- the accumulation of excessive amount of ink on the exterior of the point assemble of the pen as
a result of the rotation of the ball.
GRAPHOLOGY- it is the art of determining the characteristics of handwriting, it is also means the scientific
study and analysis of handwriting.
HANDLETTERING- it is any disconnected style of writing.

HESITATION- it is the term applied to the irregular thickening of ink which is found when writing slows
down or stop while the pen takes a stock in the position.

HIATUS/PEN JUMP- It is a gap occurring between a continuous stroke without lifting a pen.

IDENTIFICATION- it is a definite conclusion that the questioned writing and known writing were written by
the same person.

LATERAL SPACING- writing characterized by a wide letter and spacing.

LEGIBILITY- It is the ease with which the reader recognized individual characters and letters.
LINE SPACE- it is the amount of space left between baseline.

MAJUSCULE- it is the capital letter.

MARGINS- It is the amount of space left around the writing on all four sides.
MINUSCULE- it is the small letter.

MIRROR WRITING- writing that runs in the opposite direction to the normal pattern.

NATURAL WRITING- It is any specimen of writing executed normally without any attempt to control or alter
its identifying habits and its usual quality or execution.

ORTHOGRAPHY- It is the art of spelling.

PATCHING- it is the retouching or going back over a defective portion of a writing strokes.

PEN EMPHASIS- It is the act of intermittently forcing the pen against the paper surfaces.

PEN FAILURE- it is an interruption in a stroke caused by the failure of the ink of the writing instrument to
register on the surface of the paper.

PEN HOLD- It is the place where the writer grasps the barrel of the pen and how the writer holds the pen.
PEN LIFT- it is an interruption in a stroke caused by removing the writing instrument from the paper.

PEN POSITION- It is the relationship between the pen point and the paper.
PEN PRESSURE- It is the average force with which the pen contacts the paper. It is opposed to pen
emphasis deals with the usual of average force involved in the writing rather than the period increases.

PUNCTUATION- refers to the period, commas, etc. which are necessarily an integral part of written
language.

SHADING- It is the widening of the ink strokes due to added pressure of the writing instrument.

SIGNATORY- it is the name of the signer. A person whose name is being inscribe on a document who
requires assistance in doing so.
QUESTIONED
SIMILARITY- The characteristics in common between the questioned and known writing.
SIMPLIFICATION- It is the elimination of extra or superfluous strokes in order to simplify a writing habit.
SKILL- It is the proficiency in the art of writing, it is usually means legibility in handwriting.
SLANT- It is the angle or inclination of the axis of the letters relative to the baseline.

SPACING- it refers to the distance between letters, between words and between sentences.

STANDARDS- these are known writing which can be legally used as exemplars to compare a questioned
handwriting.

STRAIGHT LINES- In handwriting, it refers to a writing stroke made by a point of writing instrument without
change of direction.

TENSION- The degree of force exerted on the pen compared to the degree of relaxation.
TERMINALS- It refers to the ending or finishing strokes of letters or words.

TREMOR- It is a writing weakness portrayed by irregular and shaky strokes.

TYPE of WRITING- it refers to hand printing, whether it is cursive or manuscript.

UPSTROKE- it is the movement of the pen away from the writer.
VARIATIONS- These are normal or usual deviations found in repeated comparable writing characteristics.
WRITING CONDITION- it is the circumstances under which the writing was prepared and the factors
influencing the writers ability to write at the time of the execution. It includes the writers position, the paper
support and backing, the writing instrument, the writer’s health, nervous state, or degree of intoxication.
WRONG HANDED WRITING- it is any writing executed with the opposite hand that normally used, a.k.a
the use of awkward hand.

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