HANDWRITING

IDENTIFICATION: A
FORENSIC EXAMINATION
BY: DR. ZOILO J. MACARANAS
JR.
Handwriting identification, or forensic handwriting analysis, is a specialized
branch of questioned document examination.

 It involves comparing and analyzing handwriting samples to determine the

authorship of documents.

 This process is crucial in legal investigations, fraud detection, and criminal

cases where the authenticity of written materials is disputed.

 Handwriting identification relies on the principle that each individual's

handwriting is unique, influenced by subconscious habits, fine motor skills,
and personal style. Understanding its key components, techniques, and
challenges provides insight into this intricate forensic discipline.
KEY PRINCIPLES OF HANDWRITING
IDENTIFICATION
Individuality:

Handwriting is highly individualized. Even though people learn a

standard style of writing (e.g., cursive or print), each person
develops unique characteristics over time due to habits, muscle
memory, and personal preferences.
KEY PRINCIPLES OF HANDWRITING
IDENTIFICATION

Consistency:

While handwriting can vary due to speed, writing conditions,

or physical state, certain fundamental elements such as stroke
formation, slant, and spacing tend to remain consistent over
time, forming the basis for identifying authorship.
KEY PRINCIPLES OF HANDWRITING
IDENTIFICATION

Natural Variation:

Even within an individual’s writing, there are natural variations.

No two signatures or handwritten words from the same person
are exactly identical. Examiners are trained to distinguish
between normal variations and intentional alterations or
disguises in handwriting.
PRINCIPLES OF IDENFICATION

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
limit all its identity elements.

3. A writer cannot exceed his minimum writing ability or

skill without serious effort and training over a period
of time.
PRINCIPLES OF IDENFICATION

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 comparison examination
with the standard written or prepared under
comparable conditions.
PRINCIPLES OF IDENFICATION
8. Sufficiency of specimen

a.) A writing was written by one person

when
there is a sufficient number of
6. Similarity does not identical
mean identity. writing habits and identical primary
controlling characteristics and in
7. Complete identity addition,
means forgery. the absence of divergent
characteristics.
b.) A writing was not written by one
person
when there is a sufficient number of
diver-
gent writing characteristics and the
absence of identical primary
controlling
characteristics.
VARIATIONS IN HANDWRITING
 A more or less definite pattern for each is stored
away in the subjective mind but the hand does not
always produce a stereotyped duplicate of
that pattern.

 The hand ordinarily is not an instrument of

precision and therefore we may not expect
every habitual manual operation to be
absolutely uniform.

 The greater this skill in the art of penmanship, the

less the variations there will be in the form of
individualize letters as well as in the writing
as a whole.
CAUSES OF VARIATION

1. Function of some external condition i.e. influence of the

available space.

2. Abnormal conditions such as physical injury, toxic

effects, inebriation’s, emotion and deception.

3. Position of letter – all the letters are to be found initially,

medially, and finally. The fact of a different position,
especially in combination with another and particular letter,
may modify any of them in some way or another.
IMPORTANCE OF VARIATION

1. Personal variation encountered under

normal writing conditions is also highly
important element of identification. The
qualities of personal variation include both
its nature and its extent. It becomes
necessary to determine the amount, extent
and exact quality of the variations.
IMPORTANCE OF VARIATION

2. It is improbable that the variety

and extent of the variation in
handwriting will be exactly
duplicated in two individuals that
such as
coincidence becomes practically
impossible.
IMPORTANCE OF VARIATION

3. With a group of signatures of a particular

writer, certain normal divergence in size,
lateral spacing and proportions actually
indicate genuineness.

Variation in genuine writing is ordinarily in

superficial parts and in size, proportions,
degree of care give to the act, design,
slant, shading, angularity, roundness and
direction of stroke.
RHYTHM IN HANDWRITING

Rhythm is a succession of connected,

uniform strokes working in full
coordination. This is manifested by
clear-cut accentuated strokes, which
increase and decrease in which like
perfect cones.
RHYTHM IN HANDWRITING

A. Lack of Rhythm – Characterized by a

succession of awkward, independent,
poorly directed and disconnected
motions.

B. Importance of Rhythm – by studying the rhythm

of the succession of strokes, one can determine
if the writer normally and spontaneously.
CHARACTERISTICS USED IN HANDWRITING
IDENTIFICATION
1. Letter Form
 Shape and Formation: The general shape of individual
letters, such as loops, curves, and straight lines, is one of the
most critical aspects of handwriting analysis.
 Comparison: Examiners compare how an individual forms
letters like "a," "g," "s," or "t," and look for consistent features
across multiple samples.
CHARACTERISTICS USED IN HANDWRITING
IDENTIFICATION
2. Size and Proportion
 Height of Letters: Some writers form taller or shorter
letters compared to others. The proportion between capital and
lowercase letters is also analyzed.
 Letter Width: The width of characters, whether they are
narrow
or wide, plays a role in identifying handwriting.
CHARACTERISTICS USED IN HANDWRITING
IDENTIFICATION
3. Slant
 Angle of Writing: Writers tend to slant their letters either
forward (rightward slant), backward (leftward slant), or maintain an
upright style.

 Consistency: Examiners assess whether the slant remains

consistent or change throughout a document.
CHARACTERISTICS USED IN HANDWRITING
IDENTIFICATION
4. Spacing
 Word and Letter Spacing: The distance between
individual letters, words, and lines is often unique to each person.

 Baseline Alignment: How consistently a person writes

along the
baseline (the Imaginary line on which letters rest) is an important
feature.
CHARACTERISTICS USED IN HANDWRITING
IDENTIFICATION
5. Pressure
 Writing Pressure: Some people press harder on the paper,
creating thicker and darker strokes, while others write with lighter
pressure, resulting in fainter writing.
 Pressure Variability: Changes in pressure within a document
can
also reveal important details about the writing conditions or the
writer's state.
CHARACTERISTICS USED IN HANDWRITING
IDENTIFICATION
6. Pen Lifts
 Lifting the Pen: Examiners analyze whether the writer lifts
the pen between strokes and letters. Frequent pen lifts may
indicate a deliberate attempt to disguise handwriting.
CHARACTERISTICS USED IN HANDWRITING
IDENTIFICATION
7. Strokes Connection
 Connecting Strokes: How letters are connected (e.g., in
cursive) can provide clues about writing habits. Whether the writer
consistently connects or separates certain letters is also
considered.
CHARACTERISTICS USED IN HANDWRITING
IDENTIFICATION
8. Stroke Patterns
 Direction of Strokes: Forensic analysts examine the
direction in which a writer forms their strokes, particularly in letters
like "o" or "p." They assess whether strokes are formed clockwise or
counterclockwise.
 Speed and Rhythm: The fluidity of writing, including
whether the strokes appear slow, deliberate, or swift, helps
differentiate between genuine writing and forgery.
RECOGNITION OF WRITING CHARACTERISTICS

• Following are the writing characteristics commonly involved in the

examination in the examination of handwriting.
• 1. Form – This refers to the shape or design of the individual letters.
e.g.
RECOGNITION OF WRITING CHARACTERISTICS

2. Slope or Slant – it is angle or inclination of the axis of letters relative to the

baseline.
e.g.
RECOGNITION OF WRITING CHARACTERISTICS

3. Size – as a writing characteristic is somewhat divergent under varying condition and may
have but little significance when applied to only one example or to a small quality of writing like
a signature unless the divergence is very pronounced.
e.g.
RECOGNITION OF WRITING CHARACTERISTICS

5. Ratio – The relation between the tall and short letters is referred to as the ratio of the writing.
• e.g.
RECOGNITION OF WRITING CHARACTERISTICS

6. Connecting Strokes – this refers to the strokes of links that connects a letter with the one
following: In signatures, it is a common practice among many writers to write their signatures with
the initials and connected without lifting the pen. In writing, many written habitually drop the
connection before certain letters (particularly small letters within words).
• e.g.
RECOGNITION OF WRITING CHARACTERISTICS

7. Initial Strokes and Terminal Strokes – When letter, word or name (signature) is completed in a
free, natural writing, the pen is usually raised from paper while in motion with a “flying finish” (or
what is also referred to as “vanishing”, “tapering” or “flourishing” terminal strokes) and with many
writers, the motion of the pen also slightly precedes the putting of the pen on the paper at the
beginning with “flying start” so that the strokes at the beginning and end of words gradually diminish
or taper to a “vanishing point”.
• e.g.
RECOGNITION OF WRITING CHARACTERISTICS

8. Pen-lift – It is an interruption in a stoke caused by removing the pen from the paper.
• e.g.
RECOGNITION OF WRITING CHARACTERISTICS

9. Hiatus – is a gap between strokes due to speed in writing and defective writing instruments.
• e.g.
RECOGNITION OF WRITING CHARACTERISTICS

10. Lateral Spacing – lateral spacing is considered as a common characteristic when it conforms to
the ordinary copy-book-form.
• e.g.
RECOGNITION OF WRITING CHARACTERISTICS

11. Shading – it is the widening of the ink strokes with increase pressure on the paper surface.

e.g.
RECOGNITION OF WRITING CHARACTERISTICS

12. Line Quality – refers to the visible record in the written stroke of the basic movement
and manner of holding the writing instrument.
• e.g.
RECOGNITION OF WRITING CHARACTERISTICS

13. Alignment – is the relation of the parts of the whole line of writing or line of individual letters in
words or signature to baseline.
• e.g.
RECOGNITION OF WRITING CHARACTERISTICS

12. Line Quality – refers to the visible record in the written stroke of the basic movement
and manner of holding the writing instrument.
• e.g.
RECOGNITION OF WRITING CHARACTERISTICS

14. Rhythm – it is the balance quality of movements of the harmonious recurrence of

stress or impulse.
• e.g.
RECOGNITION OF WRITING CHARACTERISTICS

15. Pen Pressure – it is the average force in which the pen makes contact with the paper or the usual
force involved in writing.
• e.g.
RECOGNITION OF WRITING CHARACTERISTICS

16. Tremor – means “deviation from uniforms strokes due to lack of smoothness perfectly apparent
even without magnification”.
• e.g.
RECOGNITION OF WRITING CHARACTERISTICS

17. Natural Variation – variation is due to lack of machine-like precision of the human hand, it is also
caused by external factors, such as the writing instrument and the writing position, influenced by
physical and mental condition such as fatigue, intoxication, illness, course of time, variation in
genuine signature appears in superficial parts and does not apply to the whole process of writing.
• e.g.
RECOGNITION OF WRITING CHARACTERISTICS

18. Rubric or Embellishment – this refers to additional unnecessary strokes not necessary to legibility
of letters forms or writing but incorporated in writing for decorative or ornamental purpose.
• e.g.
COMMON TERMS AND DESCRIPTION OF LETTERS

• 1. Arc or Arch – any arcade form in the body of the letter.

2. Beard – rudimentary curved initial strokes.

COMMON TERMS AND DESCRIPTION OF LETTERS

• 3. Blunt Ending or Beginning – blunt ending and initial strokes are results of the drawing process in
forgery.

• 4. Buckle Knot – the horizontal and looped strokes that are often used to complete such letters.
COMMON TERMS AND DESCRIPTION OF LETTERS

• 5. Central Part of the Body – the part of the letter ordinary formed by a small circle that usually
lies on the line of writing.

• 6. Eye loop or Eyelet – the small loop formed by strokes that extend in divergent direction.
COMMON TERMS AND DESCRIPTION OF LETTERS

• 7. Foot of the Letter or Oval – the lower portion of any down stroke which terminates on the
baseline.

• 8. Diacritic – an element added to complete certain letters.

COMMON TERMS AND DESCRIPTION OF LETTERS

• 9. Hitch – the introductory backward stroke.

10. Hook or Trough – the bend, crook or curved on the inner side of the bottom loop or curve of
small letter.
COMMON TERMS AND DESCRIPTION OF LETTERS

•11. Hump – the rounded outside of the bend, crook, or curve in small letters.

•12. Spur – short, horizontal beginning strokes.

COMMON TERMS AND DESCRIPTION OF LETTERS

• 13. Knob – rounded appearance at the beginning or ending strokes.

14. Main Stroke or Shank Stem – downward strokes of any letters.

COMMON TERMS AND DESCRIPTION OF LETTERS

• 15. Whirl – the upward strokes usually on letters that have long loops.

16. Space – Filler or Terminal Spur – an upward horizontal and downward final stoke usually seen in
small letters.
COMMON TERMS AND DESCRIPTION OF LETTERS

• 17. Retrace or Retracing – a stroke that goes back over another writing stroke.

• 18. Retouching Patching – stroke that goes back to repair a defective portion of writing.
COMMON TERMS AND DESCRIPTION OF LETTERS

• 19. Staff – backspace of a letter.

20. Baseline – rules of imaginary line where the writing rest.

COMMON TERMS AND DESCRIPTION OF LETTERS

• 19. Staff – backspace of a letter.

20. Baseline – rules of imaginary line where the writing rest.

COMMON TERMS AND DESCRIPTION OF LETTERS

21. Copybook Form – design of letters, which is fundamental to a writing system

22. Pen Emphasis – it is the periodic increase in pressure of intermittently forcing the pen against the
paper surface with increased pressure.