ELEMENTS OF WRITING MOVEMENTS
1. Writing (Pen) Pressure = is the average force with which the
pen comes in contact with the paper or the usual force involves
in the writing. This is one of the most personal but somewhat
hidden characteristics in writing.
2. Pen Emphasis = is the act of intermittently forcing the pen
against the paper surface with increase pressure or the periodic
increase in pressure of the writing.
3. Rhythm = is the balance quality of movement or the
harmonious recurrence of strokes or impulse. As an element of
writing movements, rhythm accounts to be one of the very
essential for there is nothing in handwriting so difficult to
imitate as the exact quality of a muscular rhythm.
POINTERS CONCERNING RHYTHM
a. Lack of rhythm, as shown by a succession of awkward,
independent, poorly directed and disconnected motion is often
sign of forgery.
b. Perfect and continuous coordination of impulse are
more often sign of forgery.
4. Speed = cannot be measured precisely from the finished
handwriting but it can be interpreted in board term as to slow
and drawn, deliberate, average and rapid.
5. Pen lift = interruption in a stroke caused by removing the
writing instrument from the paper. Disconnection between
letters and letter combination may be due to lack of movement
control. Using a ballpoint pen may cause pen lift due to failure
of the ball to rotate.
Hiatus = a special form of pen-lift in which there is an obvious
gap between letters
6. Shading = refers to the more obvious increase in the width of
the letter strokes or the widening of the ink strokes due to the
added ink on the flexible pen point or the use of the stub pen.
POINTS TO BE CONSIDERED REGARDING SHADING
a. its form
b. its intensity
c. its skill
d. its frequency
e. its exact location
8. Pen Position (pen hold) = is the location of the pen in relation
to the paper surface, which can be determined by the presence
of the emphasis or pen shading.
9. Retracing or Retrace - is the stroke that normally goes back
over another writing strokes; it is slightly to occur in others
handwriting.
11. Retouching or Patching - is a stroke going back to repair a
defective portion of the writing stroke. Careful patching is a
common fault in forgeries.
ELEMENTS OF LETTER FORMS
1. ARC/ARCADED = the bend, crook, or curve on the inner side
of the upper loop of such letters as c, h, m, n, etc.
2. BEARD = The slight up and down introductory or sort of
double hitch, seen at the beginning of many capital letters.
3. Blunt = the beginning and ending strokes of letters, both
small and capital, in which the pen touch the paper without
hesitation, beard, Hitch or knob.
4. Buckle Knot = the horizontal and looped strokes that are
often used to complete such letters as A, F, f, H and D.
5. Central Part or Body =the part of a letter ordinarily formed by
a small circle that usually lies on the line of writing, as the
bodies of a, b, d, g, o, p.
6. Airbridges = the disconnected and non-continuous stroke
between two letters.
7. Dactus Link or Junction Connected = The continuous line that
joins two letters.
8. Eye Loop or Eyelet = the small loop formed by strokes that
extend in divergent directions as in b, c, f, k, p. q, r, s, v, w, and z.
9. Foot = the base, or bottom of a letter that lies on the line of
writing.
10. Hitch = the introductory backward stroke added to the
beginning of many capital letters; it is also occasionally found in
some small letters.
11. Hook or Through = the bend, crook, or curve on the inner
side of the bottom loop or curve of small letters.
12. Initial Spur = The long initial rising stroke of a letter.
13. Hump = the rounded outer side of the top of the bend,
crook, or curve in small letters such as h, k, m, n.
14. Main stroke or Stem or Shank of Staff = the long upright
downward stroke that is the trunk or stalk, seen especially in B,
F, K, P.
15. Knob = found either at the beginning or end of letters, both
small and capital in which the pen touched or left of the paper
so slowly that a tiny pool of ink spread slightly.
16. Space Filler or Terminal Spur = an upward horizontal or
downward final stroke usually seen in small letters such as a, s,
u, y.
17. Whirl = the upward stroke, usually on letters that have a
high loops such as h, d, and I.
