Forensic Document
Examination
SFS2. Students will use various scientific
techniques to analyze physical and trace
evidence.
d. Identify methods used for the evaluation
of handwriting and document evidence.
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
1.
2.
3.
4.
How can you individualize handwriting?
What steps must be taken to recover
good exemplars?
How can you distinguish the types of
forgery?
What techniques can be used to examine
a questioned document?
FYI:
We will not be using graphology to
interpret handwriting samples, as
this is not a psychology course. We
are only interested in the ability to
distinguish origin and veracity of a
questioned document.
Basic Information
 Penmanship
is the technique of writing
with the hand using a writing
instrument.
 The various styles of writing are called
hands (e.g. “print” and “cursive”).
 Handwriting is an individual personal
style of penmanship.

This does NOT develop until your brain and
muscles have “learned” how to form the
letters.
What do examiners look at?
 Document
experts will testify to the
fact that no two individuals write
exactly alike.
 Examiners look at margins, spacing,
crowding, insertions, alignment, and
looping of letters.
 Each examiner must be skilled at
looking at challenges that occur, for
instance someone trying to sign a
check with a broken finger.
12 Characteristics of Authenticity

Line quality



Spacing of words and letters
Ratio of relative height, width, and size of letters



This is difficult to simulate accurately and consistently.
Pen lifts and separations


Generally handwriting is smooth and free flowing when
written at “regular” speed.
Forgeries typically indicate inconsistency in this area.
Connecting strokes
Beginning and ending strokes
12 Characteristics of Authenticity

Unusual letter formation


Shading or pen pressure




Because this results, in part, from the weight of the arm
and hand, this is difficult to forge.
Slant


This is difficult to forge, as it is a learned habit.
Even disguising your own writing usually doesn’t change
this.
Baseline habits
Flourishes or embellishments
Placement of diacritics

How are the “i”s dotted and “t”s crossed?
Collection of Handwriting Exemplars
 There
must be an adequate amount
of exemplars for a true comparison
to be made, and there must be
accountability for the natural
variations that occur.
 There is a 7 step method to ensuring
a good exemplar.
7 Step Method to a Good Exemplar
1.
The writer should be allowed to write sitting
comfortably at a desk or table without distraction.
2.
The suspect should not under any conditions be
shown the questioned document or be provided
with instructions on how to spell certain words or
what punctuation to use.
3.
The suspect should be furnished a pen and paper
similar to those used in the questioned document.
4.
The dictated text should be the same as the
contents of the questioned document, or at least
should contain many of the same words, phrases,
and letter combinations found in the document.
7 Step Method to a Good Exemplar
5.
Dictation of the text should take place at least
three times.
6.
Signature exemplars can best be obtained when
the suspect is required to combine other writings
with a signature.
7.
Before requested exemplars are taken from the
suspect, a document examiner should be consulted
and shown the questioned document.
Methods of Forgery
Forgery is the process of making,
adapting, or imitating objects, statistics,
or documents with the intent to deceive.
 Fraud is an intentional deception made for
personal gain or to damage another
individual.



Forgery is one of the techniques of fraud
The most commonly forged documents are
signed checks.
Methods of Forgery
Three types of forgery:
 Blind forgery

Forger uses his/her own handwriting
 Simulated

Forger carefully simulates other’s
handwriting
 Traced

forgery
forgery
Forger traces a genuine signature onto
document
Examples of Forgery
Typescript Comparisons
Typed-written documents must be
checked under a microscope for typing
and dot formation.
 Different Types:
 Typewriter
 Printer
 As the type of printer becomes more
technical the harder it is to distinguish.
Hopefully there will be a repeating
mistake, like inkblots or offline setting,
that will make it easier to find.

Typescript Comparisons

The two requests most often made of the
examiner in connection with the
examination of typewriters and printing
devices are:


whether the make and model of the typewriter
and printing devices used to prepare the
questioned document can be identified.
whether a particular suspect typewriter or
printing device can be identified as having
prepared the questioned document.
Typescript Comparisons

In order to do this, the individual type
character’s style, shape, and size are
compared to a complete reference
collection of past and present typefaces.





Arial
Comic Sans
Calibri
Times New Roman
Verdana
Characteristics From Use
As is true for any mechanical device, use of
a printing device will result in wear and
damage to the machine’s moving parts.
 These changes will occur in a fashion that
is both random and irregular, thereby
imparting individual characteristics to the
printing device.
 The document examiner has to deal with
problems involving business and personal
computers, which often produce typed
copies that have only subtle defects.
 Another area of investigation relates to the
typewriter ribbon, which may contain type
impressions.

Digital Technology

In the cases of photocopiers, fax
machines, and computer printers an
examiner may be called on to identify the
make and model of a machine or to
compare a questioned document with test
samples from a suspect machine.

A side by side comparison is made
between the questioned document and the
printed exemplars to compare markings
produced by the machine.

Examiners compare transitory defect
marks, fax machine headers, toner, toner
application methods, and mechanical and
printing characteristics.
Changes in Documents
 Document
examiners must deal
with evidence that has been
changed in several ways, such as
through alterations, erasures,
and obliterations.
Changes in Documents

Erasures remove writing or typing from a
document by using rubber erasers,
sandpaper, razor blade or knife, or
chemicals

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
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The fibers of the paper are easily disturbed
(torn, wrinkled) and the changes are readily
apparent when examined with a microscope
Using oblique lighting can often detect shadows
from the indentations
IR or UV lighting can detect thinner paper
A mixture of baking soda and toner powder
visualize surface abrasion
Changes in Documents
 Obliteration
is the overwriting,
covering, or crossing out to hide the
original writing.

It can be revealed by IR light, which
may pass through the upper layer of
writing while being absorbed by the
underlying area.
Changes in Documents
 An
alteration is made to a document
when writing or typing is changed but
the original remains visible

When ink differing from the original is
used, it can sometimes be detected due
to differences in the IR reflectance or
luminescence properties of the inks.
Other Document Problems

Indented writings are impressions left on
papers positioned under a piece of paper
that has been written on.

Usually can be seen using oblique lighting.

Often effective, but oblique lighting techniques are
unable to recover microscopic indentations- those
which occur three or four sheets down.
Other Document Problems

Electrostatic Detection Apparatus
(ESDA) can be used to prevent
destruction of the original document.



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Writing can be revealed from three or more pages
beneath the original – very sensitive.
A suspect page is covered with a cellophane
material and vacuum sealed.
The document and cellophane are then subjected
to a high voltage static charge by waving a wand
over the surface.
Black toner, similar to that used in photocopiers
and laser printers is then cascaded over the
cellophane.