WHAT IS HANDWRITING?

Handwriting is a neuromuscular process that originates in the brain. Some

researchers have called it brain writing. For legal purposes it is important to
know whether the person was in normal condition or under the influence of
any kind of drug or going through certain medications due to any illness or
treatment or due to extreme old age.
It may also be defined as any conventional system of marks or symbols that
represent the utterances of a language. Handwriting is taught and learned
using copybook form or by observing and combining letters or symbols as
written by someone else. Hilton defined copybook form as "the design of letter
that is fundamental of a writing system. The term "copybook" is derived from
the old methods of teaching handwriting from copybook containing engraved
script printed on each page for a person to imitate.

Handwriting is a conscious act through repeated use of actual formation of

each letter or word or symbol that becomes almost automatic. A skilled writer
focuses mostly on thoughts rather than the writing process. It is a function of
conscious and subconscious mind and involvement of the motor muscles and
nerve movements of the body. Writing is dynamic so it changes with time. It is
mostly affected by the state of mind, health, age and other factors.

In general the more writing a person does, the greater the range of variation
will be seen and it will change more with time. It is a set of subconscious
habits. It is a mechanism of muscles and nerves which is influenced by mind
and it is sometimes modified by writer’s individual interest and ability to
imitate.

Handwriting can be described as the formation of letters, characters or

symbols using writing implementation according to a recognizable pattern
which is designed to communicate with another person. It is a complex
perceptual motor task and an acquired skill which is referred to as a
neuromuscular task.

FACTORS INFLUENCING HANDWRITING

Handwriting can be classified into class characteristics and individual

characteristics.
Class characteristics can range from features found in large groups of people
to those features that are found much less frequently. For example, letter
formations based upon Spencerian penmanship can be considered a large
group while trembling as a result of Parkinson’s Disease is a much smaller
group.
Individual characteristics include all the variations from school time, such as
changes in slant, loops, terminal strokes etc. All people will have both class
characteristics (e.g. letter formations based upon a specific learning system)
and individual characteristics in their handwriting. As the time passes each and
every individual will develop some unique characteristics and those
characteristics will be seen in the handwriting of that particular individual,
while other habits become rooted in the writing process. The principles of
extracting out the individual handwritings characteristics in the handwriting
are: -
1) Some differentiating characteristics are identified apart from the regular
copy book form.
2) Some of the characteristics are repeated which are unnoticeable and should
be looked first.
3) The different formations of characters and letters would resemble
individualized characteristics of a writer.

BASIC PRINCIPLES OF HANDWRITING IDENTIFICATION

 Firstly, comparison of class and individual characteristics of the given

handwriting samples is being done.
 In any handwriting examination we observe the questioned sample and
then we compare it with the genuine standard writing sample.
Major principles of handwriting laid down by the practioners and Forensic
Document Examiner have established:
 No two persons will write exactly alike.
 Even a single person doesn’t write exactly the same way twice.
 Handwriting is influenced with experience, environment, mental
condition, physical and emotional make up.
 When a writing is simulated, the simulator will try to imitate those
features which will be striking to his/her eye as because he disregards
those peculiar features or fails to copy it exactly.
 The main features of writing are class characteristics.
 The handwriting movement is displayed by various elements such as
rhythm, speed, writing pressure, pen position, alignment, tremors.
  The writing standards are those which are written under similar
conditions.

CLASS CHARACTERISTICS OF HANDWRITING

The common letter formation pattern and their shape, etc. are limited to a
particular group, age, language etc. It helps to narrow down the area of search.

INDIVIDUAL CHARACTERISTICS OF HANDWRITING

Characteristics those are limited only to a specific writer. It makes the
handwriting of an individual unique.

Various characteristics of handwriting are:

1. Alignment: The writing may slant upward, downward or be irregular with

respect to the baseline.
2. Size and proportions of letters: A habit in which a combination and
comparative size of block and small letters are taken into considerations
and are almost fixed and constant.
3. Connecting Strokes: Joins the letters of words and are also known as
ligatures.
4. Speed: It cannot be measured precisely from finished handwriting but can
be judged from the quality of strokes or it can be interpreted as slow
moderate or rapid.
5. Rhythm: It is indicated by the flow of writing, correct line quality,
punctuation and proper formation of letters and figures. It is the outcome
of writing and reading experience and cannot be simulated or copied.
6. Tremors: A writing weakness portrayed by irregular, shaky strokes. It is
natural in the handwriting of a person who are old, sick or illiterate.
7. Pen pressure: It is the average force with which the pen contacts the paper,
as estimated from the examination of writing.
8. Pictorial effect: The pictorial effect of writing shows the skill of the writer.
9. Pen position: It is the relationship between the pen point and the paper
specifically; the angle between the tip of the pen and line of the writing and
between the pen point and the paper surface is the elements of the pen
position.
10.Pen lift: It is an interruption in a stroke caused by removing the writing
instrument from the paper.
11.Pen shading: It is a widening of ink stroke due to added pressure on an ink
pen having flexible pen point or to the use of a stub pen.
12.Coordination of the writing muscles: In the act of writing , a large number
of muscles of the fingers, wrists and arms are involved. The degree of co-
ordination between these muscles varies with different writers.
13.Natural writing: Any specimen of writing executed normally without any
attempt to control or alter its identifying habits and its usual quality of
execution.
14.Patching: Retouching or going back over a defective portion of a writing
stroke.
15.Natural variations: Normal or usual deviations found between repeated
specimens of any individual’s handwriting or in the product of any
typewriter or other record making machines.
16.Slant: The angle or inclination of the axis of letters relative to the baseline.
17.Splicing: slight overlapping of two strokes after an interruption in writing.
18.System of writing: The combination of basic design of letters and the
writing movement as taught in the school.

ANALYSIS OF WRITING WRITTEN BY BALL POINT PEN:-

Features of writing instrument i.e. ball point pen:-

1. SKIPPING:-Short gap in the continuity of ink in ball pen writings are

referred as skipping. These caused if a portion of the ball contacts the
paper without re-inking. The ball pen writing showing hiatuses in the
strokes show parallel margin of the strokes after gaps, whereas when
the strokes are rejoined after pen lifts , the margins are generated not
parallel as after lifting the pen ,it is not possible to join the strokes
having previous strokes.
2. GOOPING OF INK:- The presence of excess globules of ink of the stroke
or at a change in the direction of the strokes is referred as gooping of
ink. The deposit of ink is a feature peculiar to a ball point pen writings.
The gooping of ink is always present alongside the main inked strokes,
whereas the retouching may show extra strokes showing even some gap
between the main inked stroke and retouched strokes. Gooping may
resulting in trailing of ink in the shape of hair line structure. Such type of
peculiar trailing of ink does not occur in retouching. The retouching may
be present with different writing system, whereas the gooping is bound
to show the same ink.
3. UNINKED STROKES:- The uninked strokes in the shape of grooves due to
an improper functioning of the ball of the pen or due to ink failures may
be present in the ball point pen writings. Such type of uninked strokes
 generally do not occur in the forged signature because the forger cannot
dare to leave such type of prominent variation in his forgery.
4. BLURR STRIATIONS IN THE STROKES:-The thin ink free striations present
with in the inked strokes of ball point pen writing commonly referred as
blurr striations. Due to uneven supply of ink to the rolling ball in ball pen
writing. Such type of strokes differentiated from the retouching or
defects of forgery.
5. BEADED APPEARANCE:-The slight defect in the margin of the crimp of
the ball housing, causing ‘periodic irregularity ’ in the deposition of the
ink on the paper surface. This type of appearance in the strokes is also
unique to ball point pen writing.