REVIEW ON

QUESTIONED DOCUMENT
Topic: History of Writing
 HISTORY OF WRITING
These word pictures developed into symbols which
were then use to present sound or syllables called
phonographs. This then developed into simplified
phonetic symbols called phonetic alphabet/
phoenecian (an alphabet of characters intended to
represent specific sounds of speech 22 letters written
from right to left). The Greek alphabet derived from
Phoenecian alphabet and has been used by the
Greeks. Alphabet stems from the first two letters of the
Greek Alphabet alpha and beta. (24 letters include
vowels written from left to right ).
HISTORY OF WRITING

The Greek Alphabet evolved into the

Roman Alphabet initially consisted of
disconnected capital letters. Roman scribes
invented the lowercase letters that were
patterned from the capital letters.
HISTORY OF WRITING

Cuneiform is a system of writing first

developed by the ancient Sumerians of
Mesopotamia c. 3500-3000 BCE. The name
cuneiform itself simply means "wedge
shaped", from the Latin cuneus "wedge"
and forma "shape," and came into English
usage probably from Old French
cunéiforme.
HISTORY OF WRITING

Egyptian hieroglyphs ("god's words") were

a formal writing system used by the ancient
Egyptians that combined logographic and
alphabetic elements.
Hieroglyphs are related to two other
Egyptian scripts, hieratic and demotic
ROMAN ALPHABET
Baybayin (Alibata): The Ancient Filipino
Alphabet

The term baybay literally means "to spell" in

Tagalog. Baybayin was extensively documented
by the Spanish. Some have incorrectly attributed
the name Alibata to it, but that term was coined
by Paul Rodríguez Verzosa after the arrangement
of letters of the Arabic alphabet (alif, ba, ta
(alibata), "f" having been eliminated for euphony's
sake).
 Terminologies related to handwriting
Identification and Examinations
 Alignment – relation of parts of the whole of writing or individual
letters in words to the baseline
 Arcade forms – forms that look like arches rounded on the top and
open at the bottom
 Cacography – refers to bad writing
 Calligraphy – art of beautiful writing
 Characteristics – any mark which distinguishes a document
 Collation – side by side comparison (juxta position)
 Disguised writing – handwriting in which the writer alters his
handwriting characteristics to conceal his identity
 Terminologies related to handwriting
Identification and Examinations
 Downstroke – the movement of pen towards the writer
 Form – the writer’s chosen writing style
 Garland forms – a cup like connected forrn that is open at the top
and rounded on the bottoms
 Graphoanalysis – study of handwriting based on the two
fundamental stroke, the curve and the straight curves
 Graphometry – analysis by comparison and measurement
 Graphology – art of determining character disposition
 Hand lettering – any disconnected style of writing in which each
letter is written separately
 Terminologies related to handwriting
Identification and Examinations
 Left-hand writing – wrong hand writing
 Line direction – movement of the baseline
 Line quality - overall character of the ink lines from the beginning to
the ending strokes
 Manuscript writing – disconnected form of script or semi-script
writing
 Movement – an important element of writing
 Natural writing – specimen executed normally without any attempt
to control or alter its identifying habits
 Natural variations – normal and usual deviations found between
repeated specimens of any individual handwriting
 Terminologies related to handwriting
Identification and Examinations
 Pen emphasis – the act of intermittently forcing the pen against the
paper
 Pen hold - the place where the writer grasps the barrel of the pen
and the angle at which he holds it
 Pen pressure – the average force with which the pen contacts the
paper.
 Ratio - the relation between the tall and the short letter
 Rhythm – element of writing movement which is marked by regular
or periodic recurrences
 Slope or slant – the angle inclination of the axis of the letters relative
to the baseline
Terminologies related to handwriting
Identification and Examinations
 System of writing – the combination of the basic design of letters
and the writing may be a significant identifying element
 Variation – the act or process of changing
 Writing habit – any repeated element in one’s handwriting
 RETRACING- is the process of writing, whereby one stroke goes over
by another stroke making an appearance of a single stroke.
 SHADING- Pronounce widening of the upstroke which can be
observed mostly in the fountain pen writings not on ball pen writings.
 SPEED- the manner of execution of the writing process
 TREMOR-writings with shading appearance perfectly apparent even
without magnification.
-deviation from uniform strokes or lack of smoothness perfectly
apparent even without magnification.
Causes of Tremors

1.Lack of skill on the part of the writer.

2.Self-consciousness of the writing process.
3.Hesitation resulting from copying or
imitation.
4.Uncontrollable nervousness of the writer.
5.An illiterate writing due to clumsiness
partly due to lack of clear mental
impression of the form being made.
Kinds of Tremors

Genuine Tremor such as:

a. Tremor of age
b. Tremor of illiteracy
c. Tremor of Weakness

Tremor of Fraud- tremor of age, illiteracy and weakness

are not always distinguished from each other but can
usually be distinguished from the act of fraud.
Movement in Handwriting

 Finger movement – the thumb, the first, second and

slightly the third fingers are in actual motion
 Hand movement – action of the whole hand with the
wrist as the center of attraction
 Forearm movement – the movement of the shoulder,
hand and arm with the support of the table
 Whole forearm movement – action of the entire arm
without resting
The Written Strokes

Stroke refers to the series of lines or curves written in a single letter. The most
apparent point in the comparative analysis of handwriting
Terminologies concerning stroke characteristics
a. Arc – a curved formed inside the top curve of loop as in small letters “h”,
“m”, “n”, “p”
b. Arch – any arcaded form in the body of a letter found in a small letters
which contain arches
c. Ascender – is the top portion of the letter
d. Baseline – imaginary alignment of writing
e. Bead – preliminary embellished initial stroke which occurs in capital letters
The Written Strokes
Terminologies concerning stroke characteristics
e. Beard – is the rudimentary initial up stroke of a letter
f. Blunt – the beginning and ending stroke of a letter
g. Body – the main portion of the letter
h. Buckleknot – horizontal end loop stroke that are often
used to complete a letter
i. Descender – the lower portion of the letter
j. Diacritic – the matters of the Indian script ; an element
added to complete a certain letter, either a cross bar or a
dot
k. Terminal stroke – ending stroke
The Written Strokes
Terminologies concerning stroke characteristics
l. Eyeloop – a small loop or curved form inside the letters
m. Foot – lower part which rest on the baseline
n. Habits – any repeated element or details which may
serve as individualize writing
o. Hesitation – irregular thickening of ink which is found
when writing slows down or stop while the pen take a stock
position
p. hiatus/ pen jump – a gap occurring between
continuous strokes without lifting the pen
q. Hook – it is a minute curve which often occurs at the
end of the terminal strokes
The Written Strokes
Terminologies concerning stroke characteristics
r. Hump – upper portion of its letter, the rounded outside of
the top of the bend stroke or curve in a small letter
s. Knob – the extra deposit of ink in the initial and terminal
stroke due to slow withdrawal of the pen from the paper
t. Ligature – the strokes which connect two stroke of the
letter
u. Loop - long curve found on the small letter
v. Majuscule – capital letter
x. Minuscule – small letter
The Written Strokes
Terminologies concerning stroke characteristics
y. Patching – retouching or going back over a defective
portion of written stroke
z. Pen lift – an interruption in a stroke caused by removing
the writing instrument from the paper
aa. Retrace/retracing – any part of a stroke which is super
imposed upon the original stroke
bb. Shading – the widening of the ink strokes due to added
pressure on a flexible pen point
cc. Spur - a short initial or terminal stroke
dd. Staff – a major long downward stroke of a letter
Class and Individual Characteristics

All the factors which identify handwriting fall into two general and
somewhat overlapping groups - class and individual characteristics.

1.Class characteristics are those common to a number of writers and

may result from such influences as the writing system studied, family
associations, trade training, or foreign education as well as
carelessness and haste in execution. Characteristics which are
common to a group.

2.Individual characteristics are those which are highly personal or

peculiar and unlikely to occur in combination in other instances.
Characteristics which are highly peculiar, or personal and unlikely to
appear in other persons writing.

Accidentals- are isolated, brief or temporary digressions from normal

writing process
In handwriting analysis, the usual characteristics of considerations are:
1. Line quality
2. Spacing of words and letters
3. Ratio and proportion
4. Pen lifts
5. Connecting strokes
6. Beginning and ending strokes
7. Unusual letter formation
8. Shading
9. Slant
10.Baseline habits
11.Flourishes and embellishments
12.Diacritic placement
Standards- (General) are those things whose original are
known and can be proven and can be legally used to
compare with other matters in question.

Standards-(Handwriting Identification) they are the

authenticated writings, or signatures of a person.

Classes of Standards

Procured or Collected –these type of standards often serve as the best or

most appropriate standards in the determination of the genuine as of a
questioned signature or writing.

Requested- are standards, which could be given upon request of an

investigator for the purpose of making a comparative examination with
the questioned writing in connection with a case being investigated.
Rules of Universally accepted Principles of
Handwriting

Like things must be compared.

Determine whether the standards are sufficient are

adequate.

Determiner whether the dates of standards are proximate

with in the dates of the questioned signature/ handwriting.

Consider the conditions under which the questioned

signature/ writing was executed.

Determine the writing instruments and paper used.

 Guide in gathering REQUESTED Standards

“QUESTIONED DOCUMENT” must not be shown to the subject.

A carefully selected text must be repeated.

Adequate amount of writing must be included.

Provide some writing materials as that used in the questioned.

Dictations must be at varying speed.

Dictations should be interrupted at intervals.

Normal writing conditions should be arranged.

 Guide in gathering PROCURED Standards

1. The NUMBER of standards to be used.

2. STYLE or FORM (Similarity of Subject Matter)

3. Relative dates of the QUESTIONED and the

STANDARDS.

4. Material used.

5. Conditions under which the questioned and

the standards are prepared.
Examination of Signatures
Signature – the name of a person written by him/ her in a document as
a sign of acknowledgement
Latin term “signare” ,means sign
The writer of a signature is a signatory.
Two Kinds of Signatures

1. Conventional- which is formal or complete. Usually executed in

signing significant and important documents and papers.
2. Highly Personalized- which could be categorized into:
a. Cursory or formal - executed in the conduct of one’s own
daily affairs.
b. Careless scribble - executed in for signing receipt’s and
similar insignificant documents.
Other significant terms

 Evidential signature – a signature signed at a particular

time and place under particular conditions
 Fraudulent signature – a forged signature which involves
the writing of a name as a signature by someone other
than the person himself without permission
 Freehand signature – fraudulent signature that was
executed purely by simulation rather than by tracing the
outline of a genuine signature
 Guided signature – a signature that is executed while
the writer’s hand or arm is steadied in any way
 Imitated signature – freehand forgery
 Forgery
a legal term which involves not only a non-genuine document
but also and intent to defraud

Kinds of Forgery
1. Simple forgery best learned as a “Spurious Signature”- This method of
simulation involves the forger's ability to recollect the signature he proposes
to imitate and to produce it on the document to be forged without a direct
reference to a model.

2. Traced Forgery- Traced forgeries are fraudulent signatures which have

been executed by actually following the outline of a genuine signature with
a writing instrument. Such a signature may be produced with the aid of
carbon paper by first tracing a carbon outline and then covering this with a
suitable ink stroke. Or the forgery may be traced from an outline made
visible by transmitted light
Different Process of Tracing
1.Carbon Process or Carbon outline Method
2.Indention Process
3.Projection Process or Transmitted Light Process

3.Simulated or Copied forgery- method

involves the use of an actual model
signature in proximity to the document to
be forged.
Indication of Genuineness
 Carelessness
 Spontaneity
 Alternation of thick and thin strokes
 Speed
 Simplification
 Upright letters are interspersed with slanting letter
 Upward strokes to a threadlike tracing
 Rhythm
 Good line quality
 Variation
Typewriter- a machine so designed to give an even, uniform impression
resting on the baseline and centered on the designed space.
-a machine operated by a keyboard which causes metal
characters to strike paper through an inked ribbon and so have an
impression on the paper.

Typewriting- it is an act or process of using a typewriter

Basis of Typewriting Identification

a. Conventional type writers using type bars

1. pica – 10 letter /inch
2. elite - 12 letters/ inch

b. Ball typewriter - a machine, capable of typing 10/12 characters per

inch. Change of horizontal spacing is done easily by the flip of a switch

c. Electronic typewriter (typewriter using a print wheel) – this has a disc type
device called a print wheel . 10,12,15 letters/ inch
Mal-alignment – Occurs as typewriter individualities when a
character defectively strikes to the right or left of its normal
allotted striking position.
Alignment Defect- Characters that write improperly in the
following respects: twisted letter or tilted character. Horizontal
mal-alignment, vertical mal-alignment, and character printing
“off-its-feet”.
Type Face defect- any peculiarity of typewriting caused by
actual damage to the type face metal.
Common Form of Typeface Defects
1. Clogged Type Faces
2. Twisted Letter
3. “Off-its-feet” (one side of the character is lighter)
4. Ribbon Impression
5. Rebound of Type Bars