CHARACTERISTICS

IN WRITING:

- refers to any property, marks or

elements which distinguishes. Also
referred to as identifying details.
 Types of 1. Class Characteristics –
characteristics: characteristics or properties which
are common or which can be found
in the specimen writing of other
person. Gross characteristics.
2. Individual Characteristics –
characteristics which are highly
personal or peculiar. That which is
unlikely to occur in other’s
handwriting.
 Elements of 1. Arc – the rounded inner part of an
Forms in Writing: upper curve, bend or crook,
2. Beard – is an introductory up and down
strokes found in some capital letters. Also
called as double hitch.
3. Blunt – is a part of a stroke
characterized by a abrupt beginning or end at
which the pen does not creates a diminishing
strokes.
4. Buckle Knot is a horizontal or loop
strokes used to complete letters A, H, F and D.
5. Central Part – is the body of the letter.
Characterized by a small rounded or circular
strokes.
 Elements of 6. Ductus-link, Ductus-broken- refers to
Forms in Writing: the connection between letters, either joined
or disconnected.
7. Eyelet/ eyeloop – refers to small oblong
strokes.
8. Hitch – an introductory backward
strokes found in most capital letters and in
some small letters.
9. Hiatus = an obvious gap between
letters.
10. Humps – is the outer portion of an
upper curve bend or crook, (see arc)
11. Knob – is a tiny pool of an ink at the
beginning or ending strokes.
12. Loop – is an oblong strokes
 Elements of 13. Stem/shank/staff – is considered as the
Forms in Writing: backbone of the letter characterized by a long
downward strokes
14. Initial/terminal Spur – a long running
initial or terminal strokes.
15. Through – refers to any garland form
of a letter strokes
16. Whirl – is the long upward strokes
usually found opposite the stem
Embellishments – added strokes that serves as
an ornamental or flourish to the design of the
letters. They considered unnecessary to the
legibility of the writing.

Diacritics – strokes added to complete certain

letters. They are necessary to the legibility of
the letters.

Writing Movement – refers to all factors

relative to the motion of the pen.
Line Quality - is the visible records in the written
strokes of the basic movements and
manner of holding instrument. It is
derived from a combination of factors,
including writing skill, speed, rhythm,
freedom of movement, shading and pen
emphasis.

- visible record of the line showing the skill

level of the writer by its smoothness or
irregularity.
Line Quality - The smoothness of the line of writing represents
the line quality or line value. The skill of the
writer determines whether the line quality
represents high or low quality. Speed is generally
the important determinant when measuring line
quality. Slow writing is tremulous and lacks good
line quality. Slow writing is the result of lack of
skill or of copying another’s style. It can be an
important consideration in identification of a
writer. Fast writing is smoother and more fluid.
There are numerous indicators of speed in writing
of which line quality is the principle one. The
intricacies of the letter form as well as
embellishments are part of line quality
Line Quality
Line Quality - The general pattern for slow writing is stiff and
labored. Slow writers will make carefully executed
letter forms that are generally consistent and exact.
Many strokes of writing are retraced and cramped. T-
bars are carefully placed and balanced, often with
blunt endings. I-dots are more rounded and close to
the stem. Beginning strokes and word endings are
generally blunt to the point that bulbs may be
observed without the aid of magnification. Slow
writers generally do not slant their writing as far right
as the faster writers do. The margins are generally
more even. Pressure is often monotonous. The writing
may appear to be drawn instead of written. Poor line
quality may result if the writer is not a proficient
penman.
 Types of 1. Finger (used by beginners)
movement 2. Hand (wrist serves as the point of
pivotal & of limited freedom)
3. Forearm (most skillful type of
movement)
4. Whole arm (used for ornamental or
large writings)
 Elements of 1. Pen pressure – is the average or usual pressure
Writing Movement applied in the writing. Force with which the pen
is in contact with the paper.
2. Pen Emphasis – is the act of intermittently
forcing the pen against the paper surface with an
increase in speed.
3. Rhythm – is the harmonious or balance
recurrence of strokes or impulses. It also refers to
the even return to the baseline by a writer.
4. Skills – refers to the degree of writer’s
proficiency in writing. It is the ability or competence
of a writer
5. Speed – cannot be measured precisely
from the finished handwriting but it can be
interpreted in broad term as to either fast, slow or
 Elements of Speed of writing differs for various reasons. Some
Writing Movement writers think fast and try to write as fast as they
think. Some are impatient and always in a hurry.
Slow writers may be deliberate and meticulous or
less familiar with the writing process. Writers trade
speed for legibility. The faster the writing, the more
difficult it is to read. Speed reduces legibility. Fast
writers simplify the letter forms and slur the
endings on words. Letters widen and height is
shortened. I-dots seem to be jabbed and carelessly
placed. T-bars are sweeping or tapered and may be
joined to the following word. Connecting strokes
widen. Word endings become blurred and decrease
in size. Endings are abbreviated and impossible to
read. As the fast writers progress down the page,
 Elements of 6. Pen-lift – an interruption is strokes caused
Writing Movement by sudden removal of the writing instrument from
the paper surface.
7. Shading – refers to the more obvious
increase in the width of the letter strokes.
8. Pen Position – is the relative location of the
pen in relation to the paper surface.
9. Pen scope – represents the reach of the
hand with the wrist at rest.
10. Retracing or retraced – is the strokes which
goes back over another writing strokes that is
slightly to occur in other’s writing.
11. Retouching or patching – is a stroke, which
goes back over a defective portion of a writing to
repair or correct an error.
 Factors that affects
1. Natural Variations – is the usual or
writing characteristics:
normal deviation found in a repeated
specimen of an individual’s handwriting or
in the product of any typewriter.
2. Transitory Change – are meant to
those changes which only continue to exist
while the basic cause of the deterioration
is still affecting the writer, once the such
cause has been removed from the writer,
the writing will reverts in its normal form.
 Factors that affects
3. Tremor – is the weakening of the
writing characteristics:
strokes characterized by a wavering or
shaky strokes.

a. Genuine Tremor
a.1. Weakness of sickness
a.2 Old age
a.3. Illiteracy (lack of skills)

b. Tremor of Fraud
 Factors that affects
4. Writing Conditions – refers to all
writing characteristics:
factors affecting the over-all quality of
writing such as the writer’s condition under
which the writing was prepared.

5. Writing instrument
a. Ball point pen (John Loud)
consisting of a ball bearing at the point of
the pen.
b. Fountain pen (Lewis Watterman)
consisting of pen nib point.
c. Fiber pen (originally designed by
Hongkong)
 Miscellaneous 1. Detection of Alteration
Document Problem Alteration - refers to any form of changes either an
addition or a deletion to the original content of the
document which is not a part of its original
preparation.

2. Decipherment of Erased Writings

Erasure – refers to removal of a writings or any part of
a document either by mechanical or chemical process.
Mechanical Erasure – done by means of abrasive
method through rubbing or scrapping.
Chemical Erasure – done with the aid or use of
bleaching agent called ink eradicator.
Usually examined with the aid or fuming, transmitted
light, oblique light and ultra-violet light examination.
 Miscellaneous
3. Decipherment of Obliterated writing
Document Problem
Obliteration – is the process of smearing over
an original writing to make it undecipherable
or illegible. Done with the used of
superimposing inks. Usually examined with
the used of Infra- red light.
4. Examination of Charred Document and
water soaked document
Charred Document – refers to partly burned
or brittle document. Decipherment is usually
accomplished with the used of infra-red light
examination.
 Miscellaneous 5. Development of Invisible writing
Document Problem Invisible writing – writing that has no readily visible
ink strokes. Made by Sympathetic inks such as acids,
juice and others. They are possible of development
depending on the ink used. Methods of development
can be by heat. Water, chemical fuming or by ultra-
violet light process.
6. Decipherment of Contract writing
Contact writing – refers to partially visible ink strokes
cause by sudden contact between a sheet of paper
with another paper containing fresh ink. Can be
enhanced through fuming or ultra-violet light process.
 EXAMINATION
OF TYPEWRITING

Definition 1. Typeface – is the printing surface of the type

of Terms: block in a conventional typewriter. In electric typewriter
it is the printing surface of the rotating head sphere.
2. Typeface defect – any form of peculiarity of the
type printing caused by actual damage to the typeface
metal or which maybe an abnormality in its printing
condition.
3. Characters – in connection to typewriting, it is
used to include letters, symbols, numerals or
points of punctuation.
4. Pica typeface – type face impression ordinarily
spaced ten (10) characters to the horizontal inch.
5. Elite typeface – type face impression ordinarily
spaced twelve (12) characters to the horizontal inch.
 EXAMINATION
OF TYPEWRITING

Definition 6. Proportional spacing machine – a typewriter with

of Terms: a type letter spacing similar to the type spacing of
conventional printed in which all letters are allotted
horizontal in conformity with their relative widths.
7. Transitory Defects – is an identifying typewriter
characteristics which can be eliminated by simply
cleaning the machine or replacing the ribbon.
8. Permanent Defects – any identifying typewriting
characteristics of the type face which cannot be
corrected by simply cleaning the machine or replacing
the ribbon.
9. Mal alignment or alignment defects – refers to
defect in the printing condition of the type character in
which the letters are printed either at the top or bottom,
left or right of inclined from its proper position.
 Principal 1. Measure the type face pitch
technique 2. Verify the type size and design
utilized
(W-G-T)
in
typewriting
3. Look for individual type face
identification defects
Typeface 1. Vertical mal alignment – a character printing
Defects above or below of its proper position.
2. Horizontal mal alignment – an alignment
defect in which the characters are printed to the
left or right of its proper position.
3. Twisted letters – letters and characters are
designed to be printed at a certain angle to the
baseline. Once letters leans to the left or right of
its proper position such is called twisted letters.
4. Off-its-feet – is a condition of the type face
printing at which then character outline is not
equally printed, that is the printing is heavier in
one side than the remainder of the outline of the
character.
Typeface 5. Rebound – typeface defect in which a character
Defects prints a double impression with the lighter one
slightly off-set to the right or left.
6. Actual breakage – any peculiarity of typewriting
caused by actual damage to the type face metal.
7. Clogged type face (dirty) – is a typeface defects
characterized by dirty prints due to constant used
without cleaning of the type bar or due to use of
new carbon. These are common in closed letter
outline such as o, a, p, g etc.