FOR 4 TOPIC 3 HANDWRITING

IDENTIFICATION AND EXAMINATION

PART 2

HERMILINDA P. ORENZE, Ph.D.

 COMMON TERMS AND
DESCRIPTION OF LETTERS
• 1. ARCH-Any arcade form in the body of the letter.
 2. BEARD-Rudimentary curved initial strokes.

•
 3. Blunt ending or Beginning

• 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.
 5. Central Part of the Body
• The part of a 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.
 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.
 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.
 11. HUMP
• The rounded outside of the bend, crook, or curve in small
letters.
 12. SPUR
• Short, horizontal beginning strokes.
 13. KNOB
• Rounded appearance at the beginning or ending strokes.
14. MAIN STROKE OR SHANK
STEM
Downward strokes of any
letters.
 15. WHIRL
• The upward strokes usually on letters that have long
loops.
16. SPACE-FILLER OR TERMINAL
SPUR
• An upward horizontal or downward final stroke usually
seen in small 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.
 19. STAFF
• Backspace of a letter.
 20. BASELINE
• Rules of imaginary line where the writing rest.
 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.
MOVEMENT IN HANDWRITING
• KINDS OF MOVEMENT
• 1. FINGER MOVEMENT-The thumb, the first, second and
slightly the third fingers are in actual motion. Most
usually employed by children and illiterates.
• 2. HAND MOVEMENT- Produced by the movement of the
shoulder, hand and arm with the support of the table.
MOVEMENT IN HANDWRITING
• KINDS OF MOVEMENT
• 3. FOREARM MOVEMENT- the movement of the shoulder,
hand and arm with the support of the table.
• 4. WHOLE FOREARM MOVEMENT-action of the entire
arm without resting, i.e. blackboard writing.
 QUALITY OF MOVEMENT
• 1. Clumsy, illiterate and halting
• 2. Hesitating and painful due to weakness and
illness
• 3. Strong, heavy and forceful
• 4. Nervous and irregular
• 5. Smooth, flowing and rapid
MOVEMENT IN HANDWRITING

• C. SPEED-Slow and drawn, Deliberate ,

average and rapid
• D. DIFFERENT MOVEMENTS EMPLOYED
AFFECT WRITING-Smoothness, Directness,
Uniformity, Continuity of strokes, and
Connecting or curves between letters
 MOTOR COORDINATION

• It is the special way in which the various

muscles used in writing work together to
produce written forms.
 THE CHARACTERISTICS OF
MOTOR COORDINATION ARE:
• 1. Free, smelt rounded curves
• 2. Speed and gradual changes of directions
• 3. Pressure is always in a state of change, moving from light to
heavy or from heavy to light.
• 4. The shading impulse is distributed over a considerable length
of the line whereas in writing produced with a slow motion as in
the finger movement, the shading often has a “bunchy”
appearance, in which the maximum width of the shaded line is
attained abruptly.
FAULTY MOTOR COORDINATION’S ARE
CHARACTERIZED BY THE FOLLOWING:

• 1. Wavering and very irregular line or strokes

with uncertain and unsteady progress. There
is no freedom of movement along the strikes
of the letter-forms. The writing is obviously
very slow and is typical of the writing of a
young child or for any one who painstakingly
draws a picture of an unfamiliar form.
FAULTY MOTOR COORDINATION’S ARE
CHARACTERIZED BY THE FOLLOWING:

• 2. ANGULAR LINE- a very common fault of

coordination. Curves, large and small are not
smoothly rounded and there is no gradual
change of direction. On the contrary, and angle
marks almost every change are direction in the
line. Investigation has disclosed that angles are
accompanied by a lessening of writing speed.
 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. Pressure is always in a state of
change moving from light to heavy or from heavy to light.
• A. LACK OF RHYTHM- Characterized by a succession of
awkward, independent, poorly directed and disconnected
motions.
 RHYTHM IN HANDWRITING
• B. IMPORTANCE OF RHYTHM- By studying the rhythm of
the succession of strokes, one can determine if the writer
normally and spontaneously or write with hesitation as ih
he is attempting to for another signature.
• C. LETTER OF CONNECTIONS-Determine the essential
expression of the writing pattern. It is a mean indicator of
the neuromuscular motion function. Words are formed by
connection letters to one another. Even letters are formed
by joining of the upward and downward strokes.
THESE TYPES OF CONNECTIONS
ARE:
• 1. ARCADE-A rounded stroke shaped like an arch. It is a slow mode
of connection resulting from controlled movements.
• 2. GARLAND- Links the downward stroke to the upstrokes with a
flowing curve swinging from the left to right. It is an easy , effortless
mode of connection, written with speed.
• 3. ANGULAR CONNECTIVE FORM-When the downward strokes and
upward strokes meet directly, angular connection is formed. This
type of connection imposes a check on the continuity of movement
which is characterized by an abrupt stop and start in each turning
point.
THESE TYPES OF CONNECTIONS
ARE:
• 3. ANGULAR CONNECTIVE FORM-When the downward
strokes and upward strokes meet directly, angular
connection is formed. This type of connection imposes a
check on the continuity of movement which is
characterized by an abrupt stop and start in each turning
point.
• 4. THE THREADLIKE CONNECTIVE FORM-The joining of
downward and upward strokes is slurred to a threadlike
tracing or where rounded turns used at both top and
bottom produce a double curve. These forms appear both
in shaping of letters within the word.
 HANDWRITING STROKE
• STROKE is a series of lines or curves written in a single
letter; one of the lines of an alphabet or series of lines or
curves within a single letter; the path traced by the pen on
the paper.
• 1. ARC-a curved formed inside the top curve of loops as in
small letters “h”, “m”, “n” & “p”.
• 2. ARCH-Any arcade form in the body of a letter found in
small letters which contains arches.
 HANDWRITING STROKE
• 3. ASCENDER-Is the top portion of a letter or upper loop.
• 4. BASELINE-Maybe actually on a ruled paper, it might be
imaginary alignment of writing; is the ruled or imaginary
line upon which the writing rests.
• 5. BEADED- Preliminary embellished initial stroke which
usually occurs in capital letters.
• 6. BEARD-Is the rudimentary initial up stroke of a letter.
 HANDWRITING STROKE
• 7. BLUNT- The beginning and ending stroke of a
letter (without hesitation).
• 8. BODY-The main portion of the letter, minus the
initial of strokes, terminal strokes and the
diacritic, of any. Ex: the oval of the letter “O” is
the body, minus the downward stroke and the
loop.
• 9. BOWL-a fully rounded oval or circular form on
a letter complete into “O”.
 HANDWRITING STROKE
• 10. BUCKLE /BUCKLEKNOT-A loop made as a flourished
which is added to the letters, as in small letter “k” & “b”.
Or in capital letters “A”, “K”, “P”; the horizontal end loop
stroke that are often used to complete a letter.
• 11. CACOGRAPHY- a bad writing.
• 12. CALLIGRAPHY-The art of beautiful writing.
• 13. DESCENDER-Opposite of ascender, the lower portion
of a letter.
 HANDWRITING STROKE
• 14. DIACRITIC- “t” crossing and dots of the letter “i” and “j”. The
matters of the Indian script are also known as diacritic signs; an
element added to complete a certain letter, either a cross bar or a
dot.
• 15. ENDING/ TERMINATE STROKE OF TOE- The end stroke of a
letter.
• 16. EYE/EYELET/EYELOOP-a small loop or curved formed inside the
letters. This may occur inside the oval of the letters “a, d, o”, the
small loop form by stroke that extend in divergent direction as in
small letters.
 HANDWRITING STROKE
• 17. FOOT-Lower part which rest on the base line. The
small letter “m” has three feet, and the small letter “n”
has two feet.
• 18. HABITS-Any repeated elements or details, which may
serve to individualize writing.
• 19. HESITATION-The term applied to the irregular
thickening of ink which is found when writing slows down
or stop while the pen take a stock of the position.
 HANDWRITING STROKE
• 20. HIATUS/PEN JUMP-A gap occurring between a continuous stroke
without lifting the pen. Such as occurrence usually occurs due to
speed; may be regarded also as a special form of pen lift distinguished
in a ball gaps in that of perceptible gaps and appear in the writing.
• 21. HOOK-It is a minute curve or ankle which often occurs at the end
of the terminal strokes. It also sometimes occurs at the beginning of
an initial stroke. The terminal curves of the letters “a”, “d”, “n”, “m”,
“p”, “u”, is the hook. In small letter “w” the initial curve is the hook ;
the minute involuntary talon like formation found at the
commencement of an initial up stroke or the end terminal stroke.
 HANDWRITING STROKE
• 22. HUMP- Upper portion of its letter “m”, “n”, “h”, “k”-
the rounded outside of the top of the bend stroke or curve
in small letter.
• 23./ KNOB-The extra deposit of ink in the initial and
terminal stroke due to slow withdrawal of the pen from
the paper (usually applicable to fountain pen).
• 24. LIGATURE/CONNECTION-The stroke which connects
two stroke of a letter; characterized by connected stroke
between letters.
 HANDWRITING STROKE
• 25. LONG LETTER- Those letters with both upper and
lower loops.
• 26. LOOP-An oblong curve such as found on the small “f”,
“g”, “l” and letters stroke “f” has two. A loop may be blind
or open. A blind loop is usually the result of the ink
having filled the open space.
• 27. MAJUSCULE-A capital letter.
• 28. MINISCULE- A small letter.
 HANDWRITING STROKE
• 29. MOVEMENT IMPULSE-This refer to the continuity of
stroke, forged writing ios usually produced by
disconnected and broken movements and more motion or
movement impulse than in genuine writing.
• 30. PATCHING-Retouching or going back over a defective
portion of a written stroke. Careful patching is common
defect on forgeries.
• 31. PENLIFT-It is an interruption In a stroke caused by
removing the pen from the paper.
 HANDWRITING STROKE
• 32. RETRACE/RETRACING-Any part of a stroke which is
super imposed upon the original stroke. EX: vertical
stroke of the letters “d”, “t” while coming downward from
the top to bottom will have a retracing strokes; any stroke
which goes back over another writing strokes. In natural
handwriting there maybe instances in which the pen
doubled back over the course.
• 33. SHADING- It is the widening of the ink strokes due to
the added pressure on a flexible pen point or to the use of
a stub pen.
 HANDWRITING STROKE
• 34. SPUR –A short initial or terminal stroke.
• 35. STAFF-Any major long downward stroke of a letter
that is the long downward stroke of a letter “b” “g”.
• 36. STEM OR SHANK-The upright long downward stroke
that is the truck or stalk, normally seen in capital letters.
• 37. TICK/HITCH-Any short stroke, which usually occurs at
the top of the letters.
 HANDWRITING STROKE
• 38./ TREMOR-Awriting weakness portrayed by irregular
shaky strokes is described as writing tremor.
• 39. WHIRL-The upstroke of a looping ascender.
 OTHER TERMS CONCERNING
STROKES
• 1. AIRSTROKE-The movement of the pen as it is raised from the
paper and continues in the same direction in the air.
• 2. COVERING STROKE- A stroke that unnecessarily covers another
stroke in a concealing action.
• 3. FINAL-The ending stroke on a letter when it is at the end of
word.
• 4. UPSTROKE-Movement of the pen away from the writer.
• 5. SEQUENCE OF STROKES-The order in which writing strokes are
placed on the paper is referred to as their sequence.
 OTHER TERMS CONCERNING
STROKES
• 6. SUPPORTED STROKES-Upstrokes that partially
covering the previous down strokes. Originally taught in
European Schools.
• 7. TRAIT STROKE-A school of handwriting analysis that
assigns personality trait manners to individual writing
strokes.
 QUALITIES OF THE STROKES
• 1. EXPANSION-Whether the movement is extended or
limited in its range with respect to both vertical and
horizontal direction.
• 2. COORDINATION-Whether the flow of movement is
controlled or uncertain, smooth or jerky, continuous or
interrupted.
• 3. SPEED-Whether the movement has been rapid or slow
and whether the pace has been steady or variable.
 QUALITIES OF THE STROKES
• 4. PRESSURE-Whether the pressure exerted in the
movement and its upward and downward reach.
• 5. DIRECTION-Left ward and right ward trend of the
movement and its upward and downward reach.
• 6. RHYTHM-In the sequence of movements that weave the
total pattern, certain similar phases recur at more or less
regular intervals.
 HANDWRITING PROBLEMS
• 1. A signature /handwriting contested by its author which
in reality is genuine and corresponds perfectly to the
ordinary, and habitual signatures of that person.
• 2.A signature/ handwriting contested by its author which
in reality was written by him but in a way which was
different from the ordinary manner and which is more or
less different from the common genuine signatures of that
person.
 HANDWRITING PROBLEMS
• 3. A signature /handwriting contested by its author which in reality
was written by a third person and which is a forgery written in an
attempted imitation of a model.
• 4. A spurious signature/handwriting written by somebody who did
not attempt to imitate the signature of a person and who uses a
fictitious name and this to give his work the appearance of a
signature.
• 5. An uncontested signature/handwriting , in fact, genuine but
written by an unknown person whose name must be deciphered by
the document examiner.
 GENERAL CLASSES OF
QUESTIONED WRITING
• 1. FORGED OR SIMULATED WRITINGS in which
attempt is made to discard one’s own writing
and assume the exact writing personality of
another person.
• 2. DISGUISED- Those writings that are disguised
and in which the writer seeks to hide his own
personality without adapting that of another.
 HANDWRITING CHARACTERISTICS
AND OTHER IDENTIFYING FEATURES
• WRITING HABITS- Writing by all thousand of peculiarities
in combination is the most personal and individual thing
that a man does that leaves a record which can be seen
and studied. This is what constitutes individuality in
handwriting.
• A. GENERAL (CLASS) CHARACTERISTICS-These
characteristics refer to those habits are part of basic
writing system or which are modifications of the system of
writing found among so large a group of writing that have
only slight identification value.
 WRITING HABITS
• B. INDIVIDUAL CHARACTERISTICS-They are
characteristics which are the result of the writer’s
muscular control, coordination, age, health, and nervous
temperament, frequency of writing, personality and
character. They are found in Writing movement, Form and
design of letters, Motor Coordination, Shading, Skill,
Alignment, Pen Pressure, Connection, Pen hold, Rhythm,
Disconnections or pen lifts between letters, Speed, Slant
as a writing habit, proportion of letters as an individual
characteristics or habit, Quality of stroke or line quality,
TYPES OF HANDWRITING ACCORDING
TO MUSCULAR CONTROL
• A. LOOSE WRITING-This is characterized by too much
freedom of movement and lack of regulation. This is
noticed especially in tall letter forms.
• B. RESTRAINED WRITING-There is lack of freedom and
inhibited movements. It gives you the impression that
every stroke was made with great difficulty. This writing is
small. There is distortion of letter forms which may lead to
illegibility.
 INDICATIONS OF
SPEED(SPEEDY) IN WRITING
• a. Smooth, unbroken strokes and rounded forms.
• b. Frequent signs or tendencies to the right.
• c. Marked uncertainty as to the location of the dots of
small letters “l”, “j” & crosses of small letter “t”.
• d. Increased spontaneity of words or small letter “t”
connected with the following words.
 INDICATIONS OF
SPEED(SPEEDY) IN WRITING
• e. Letters curtailed or degenerated almost to illegibility
towards the end of words.
• f. Wide writing- width of letters is greater than the
connecting spaces adjoining it.
• g. Great difference in emphasis between upstrokes and
down strokes.
• h. Marked simplification of letters especially capital
letters.
• i. Rising line.
 INDICATIONS OF
SPEED(SPEEDY) IN WRITING
• j. Increased pen pressure.
• k. Increase in the margin to the left at the beginning of
the line.
 INDICATIONS OF SLOW
WRITING
• a. Wavering forms and broken strokes.
• b. Frequent signs or tendencies to the left.
• c. Conspicuous certainly as to the location of the dots of
small letters
• “l”, “j”, or “t” crosses with scarcely perceptible deviation
from the intended direction.
• d. Frequent pauses by meaningless blobs, angles, divided
letters and retouches.
 INDICATIONS OF SLOW
WRITING
• e. Careful execution of detail of letters, toward the end or
names.
• f. Narrow writing.
• g. No difference in emphasis in upstroke and down stroke.
• h. Ornamental or flourishing connections.
• i. Sinking lines.
 EXAMPLES OF COMMON
CHARACTERISTICS
• 1. Ordinary copy-book form.
• 2. Usual systematic slant.
• 3. Ordinary scale of proportion or ratio.
• 4. Conventional spacing.
 CLASSIFICATION OF INDIVIDUAL
CHARACTERISTICS
• 1. PERMANENT CHARACTERISTICS-found always in his
handwriting.
• 2. COMMON OR USUAL –found in a group of writers who
studied the same system of writing.
• 3. OCCASIONAL- found occassionally in his handwriting.
• 4. RARE- special to the writer and perhaps found only in
one or two persons in a group of one hundred individuals.
 HOW INDIVIDUAL
CHARACTERISTICS ARE ACQUIRED
• 1. Outgrowth of definite teaching.
• 2. Result of imitation.
• 3. Accidental condition or circumstances
• 4. Expression of certain mental and physical traits of the
writer as ffected by education, by environment and by
occupation.
 EXAMPLES OF SOME OF THE
INDIVIDUAL CHARACTERISTICS
• 1. Hook to the right and hook to the left.
• 2. Shape, position, size and angle of “i” dots and “t”
crossing.
• 3. Idiosyncrasies-behavioral attributes.
• 4. Bulbs and distinctive initial and final pen pressure.
• 5. Embellishment, added strokes and free movement
endings.
 EXAMPLES OF SOME OF THE
INDIVIDUAL CHARACTERISTICS
• 7. Simple and compound curves and graceful
endings
• 8. Labored movement producing ragged lines
• 9. Terminal shadings and forceful endings
• 10. Presence and influence of foreign writing,
with the introduction of Greek “e”.
 POINTS TO CONSIDER IN EXAMINING
EXTENDED WRITING(ANONYMOUS,
THREAT, POISON LETTERS)
• 1. UNIFORMITY-Does the questioned writing have
smooth, rhythmic and free-flowing appearance?
• 2. IRREGULARITIES –Does the questioned writing appear
awkward, ill-formed slowly drawn.
• 3. SIZE & PROPORTION-Determine the height of the over-
all writing as well as the height of the individual strokes in
proportion to each other.
POINTS TO CONSIDER IN EXAMINING
EXTENDED WRITING(ANONYMOUS,
THREAT, POISON LETTERS)
• 4. ALIGNMENT-Are they horizontally aligned, or
curving, uphill or downhill.
• 5. SPACING-Determine the general spacing
between letters, spacing between word. Width of
the left and right margins, paragraph
indentations.
• 6. DEGREE OF SLANT-Are they uniform or not.
POINTS TO CONSIDER IN EXAMINING EXTENDED
WRITING(ANONYMOUS, THREAT, POISON
LETTERS)

• 7. FORMATION AND DESIGN OF

LETTERS, “t”(-)bars, “i” dots, loops,
circle formation.
• 8. Initial, connecting and final strokes.
 HANDPRINTING
• The procedure and the principle involved are similar to
that of cursive handwriting. In block capital and
manuscript writings, personal individual rests principally
in design, selection, individual letter construction, size
ratios and punctuation habits. The initial step in
handwriting examination is to determine whether the
questioned handwriting and standards were accomplished
with:
 HANDPRINTING
• 1. A fluency of movement and certainty of execution
indicative of familiarity with and a measure or skill in
handwriting of conversely.
• 2. A conscious mental effort and non-rhythmic execution
denoting either unfamiliarity with or disguise in the
subject’s handwriting.
THANK YOU!