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Document
= Comes from the Latin word �Documentum� which means a �lesson�.
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Document
= It is any material containing a mark, symbol or sign, visible, partially
visible or invisible that presently or ultimately convey a meaning or a message to
someone.
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Document
= It is any written statement by which a right is established or an obligation
extinguished.
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2 Categories of Document
=1. Standard Document
2. Questioned Document
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Standard Document
= Document in which the origin is known can be proven and can legally be used
as sample to comparison with other things in questioned.
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2 Types of Standard Document
=1. Collected or Procured standard
2. Requested or Dictated (Post Litem Motam)
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Collected or Procured standard
= It is a specimen obtain from a files of document, executed in person�s day to
day business, official, social or personal activities.
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Requested or Dictated (Post Litem Motam)
= It is a standard document which is made upon request.
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Requested or Dictated (Post Litem Motam)
= These are those given or made upon request for the purpose of making a
comparative examination with the request writing.
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Requested or Dictated (Post Litem Motam)
= Additional or corroborative standard.
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Contemporary Document
= These are document which are not more than 5 years before or after.
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Questioned Document
= It is a document that is questioned because of origin, its contents or the
circumstances regarding its production arousing serious suspicion as to its
genuineness or it may adversely scrutinize simply because it displeases someone.
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Legal Classification of Document
=1. Public Document
2. Official Document
3. Private Document
4. Commercial Document
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Public Document
= It is a document created, executed or issued by a public official in response
to the exigencies of the public service, or in the execution of which public
official intervened.
It is any instrument authorized by a notary public or a competent public
official, with the solemnities required by law.
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Official Document
= Is a document which is issued by a public official in the exercise of the
functions of his office
Can also be classified as a public document.
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Private Document
= A deed or instrument executed by a private person without the intervention of
a notary public or other person legally authorized by which the documents, some
disposition or agreement is proved, evidenced or set forth.
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Commercial Document
= It is any document defined and regulated by the Code of Commerce.
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Classes of Questioned Document
=1. Document with questioned signature.
2. Document containing fraudulent alteration.
3. Holograph Document � a document that is completely written and signed by one
person.
4. Document questioned as to the material used in their production.
5. Documents questioned as to their age or date.
6. Documents involving typewriting.
7. Document which may identify a person through handwriting.
8. Genuine documents erroneously or fraudulently attacked or disputed.
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System of Writing
= It is the combination of the basic shape and designs of letter and the
writing movement which was taught in school.
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Copy book form
= It is an illustration of the basic designs of letters that is fundamental to
the writing system.
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Writing movement
= It refers to the motion of the pen such as pressure, rhythm, pen lift, etc.
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Pen
= An instrument used to apply ink on a paper.
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Writing
= It is the visible result of a very complicated series of acts, being as a
whole or a combination of certain forms which are the very visible result of mental
or muscular habits acquired by long continued painstaking effort.
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Handwriting
= It is the visible effect of the bodily movement is an unconscious expression
of fixed muscular habits, reacting from fixed mental impression of certain ideas
associated with script form.
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Writing habits
= It refers to any repeated elements of once handwriting which serves as an
identifying characteristic.
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Significant writing habits
= Elements of one�s writing that are sufficiently unique and well fix to serve
as a strong basis of individuality.
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Signature
= A name of a person signed by himself on a document as a sign of
acknowledgement.
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Model signature
= Specimen signature which was executed in particular date, time and place
under a particular writer�s condition and for a particular purpose.
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Classes of Signature
=1. Formal or complete � used in signing important documents
2. Informal of cursory � used for routine document
3. Careless scribble � used for not so important document such as delivery of
mail or receipt of purchase equipment etc.
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Forgery
= It is an act of falsifying of counterfeiting any treasure or bank notes,
paper bills or any documents which are payable to the bearer.
It is an act of simulating or tracing somebody�s signature without the
latter�s consent for profit.
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Major types of forgery
=1. Simple forgery
2. Simulated or copied forgery
3. Traced forgery
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Simple forgery
= It is a forged signature where no attempt has been made to make a copy or
facsimile of the genuine writing of a person purported to sign the document.
Also known as spurious signature.
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Simulated or copied forgery
= It is a forged signature which resembles the genuine signature written in
free=hand.
It is considered as the most skillful form of forgery.
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Traced forgery
= It is a forge signature which closely resemble the genuine by some tracing
process or outline form.
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Methods of tracing
=1. Carbon outline process � use of carbon paper
2. Indention process � use of considerable pressure, canal=like process.
3. Projection or transmitted light process � use of light from the back or
bottom.
4. Laser method � use of hologram.
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Characteristics in writing
= It refers to any property, marks or elements which distinguish.
Also referred to as identifying details.
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Types of writing characteristics
=1. Class characteristics
2. Individual characteristics
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Class characteristics
= Characteristics or properties which are common or which can be found in the
specimen writing of other person.
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Individual characteristics
= Characteristics which are highly personal or peculiar.
That is which unlikely to occur in other�s handwriting.
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Elements of Forms in writing
=1. Arc
2. Beard
3. Blunt
4. Buckle knot
5. Central part
6. Ductus
7. Eyelet / eye loop
8. Hitch
9. Humps
10. Knob
11. Loop
12. Stem/ shark / staff
13. Initial/ terminal spur
14. Through
15. Whirl
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Arc
= The rounded inner part of an upper curved, bend or crook.
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Beard
= It is an introductory up and down strokes found in some capital letters.
Also sometime called as double hitch.
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Blunt
= Is a part of a stroke characterized by an abrupt beginning or end at which
the pen does not creates a diminishing stroke.
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Buckle knot
= Is a horizontal or loop strokes used to complete letters A, H, F and D.
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Central part
= It is the body of the letter.
Characterized by a small rounded or circular strokes
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Ductus-link / Ductur broken
= It refers to the connection between letters, either joined or disconnected.
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Eyelet / eyeloop
= Refers to the small oblong strokes.
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Hitch
= An introductory backward strokes found in most capital letters and in some
small letter.
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Humps
= Is an outer portion of an upper curve bend or crook.
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Knob
= It is a tiny pool of an ink at the begging or ending strokes.
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Loop
= Is an oblong stroke
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Stem/ shark / staff
= Is considered as the backbone of the letter characterized by a lone downward
strokes.
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Initial/ terminal spur
= A long running initial or terminal stroke.
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Through
= Refers to any garland of a letter strokes
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Whirl
= Are the lone upward strokes usually found opposite the stem.
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Embellishments
= Is an added stroke that serves as an ornamental or flourish to the design of
a letter. They are considered unnecessary to the legibility of writing.
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Writing movement
= Refers to the factors relative to the motion of the pen.
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Line quality
= Are the visible records in the written strokes of the basic movements and
manner of holding the instrument. It is derived from a combination of factors,
including writing skills, and rhythm, freedom movement, shading and pen emphasis.
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Types of Movement
=1. Finger (use by beginners)
2. Hand (wrist serves as the point of pivotal or limited freedom)
3. Forearm (most skillful type of movement)
4. Whole arm (used for ornamental or large writings)
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Elements of Writing Movement
=1. Pen pressure
2. Pen emphasis
3. Rhythm
4. Skill
5. Speed
6. Pen=lift
7. Shading
8. Pen position
9. Pen scope
10. Retracing or retraced
11. Retouching or patching
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Pen pressure
= The average or unusual pressure applied in the writing.
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Pen emphasis
= The act of intermittently forcing the pen against the paper surface with an
increasing speed.
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Rhythm
= The harmonious or balance recurrence of strokes or impulses.
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Skill
= Refers the to the degree of writer�s proficiency.
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Speed
= Cannot be measured precisely from the finished handwriting but it can be
interpreted in broad terms as to either fast, moderate or slow.
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Pen-lift
= an interruption in strokes caused by sudden removal of the writing instrument
from the paper surface.
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Shading
= Refers to the most obvious increase in the width of the letter strokes.
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Pen position
= Is the relative location of the pen in relation to the paper surface.
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Pen scope
= Represents the reach of the hand with the wrist at rest.
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Retracing or retraced
= A stroke which goes back to another writing stroke that is slightly to occur
in other�s writing.
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Retouching or patching
= Is a stroke which goes back over a defective portion of a writing to repair
or correct an error.
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Factors that affects writing characteristics
=1. Natural Variation
2. Transitory Change
3. Tremor
4. Writing Condition
5. Writing Instrument
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Natural Variation
= Is the usual or normal deviation found in an repeated specimen of an
individual�s handwriting or in the product writer.
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Transitory Change
= These are changes which only continue to exist with the basic cause of the
deterioration is still affecting the writer, once the cause was removed from the
writer, the writing will revert to its normal form.
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Tremor
= It is the weakening of the strokes characterized by the wavering or shakiness
of strokes.
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Kinds of Tremor
=1. Genuine tremor
a) Weakness of sickness
b) Old age
c) Illiteracy
2. Tremor of Fraud
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Writing Condition
= It refers to all factors affecting the over=all quality of writing such as
the writers condition under which the writing was prepared.
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Writing Instrument
= Ball point pen (John Loud)
Fountain pen (Lewis Watterman)
Fiber pen (Hong Kong)
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Miscellaneous Document Problem
=a) Detection of Alteration
b) Decipherment of erased writings
c) Decipherment of obliterated writing
d) Examination of charred document or water soaked documents
e) Development of invisible writing
f) Decipherment of contact writing
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Alteration
= It refers to any form of changes either addition or deletion to the original
content of the document which is not a part of its original preparation.

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Erasure
= Refers to the removal of writing or any part of a document either by
mechanical or chemical process
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Mechanical Erasure
= Done by means of abrasive method through rubbing or scrapping.
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Chemical Erasure
= Done with the aid or use of bleaching agent called ink eradicator.
It is usually examined with the aid of fuming, transmitted light, oblique
light and ultraviolet light.
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Obliteration
= It is the process of smearing over an original writing to make it
undecipherable or illegible.
It is done with superimposing ink.
It is usually examined with infrared light
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Charred Documents
= It refers to partly burned or brittle document.
Decipherment is usually accomplished with the use of infrared light.
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Invisible writing
= A writing that has no readily visible ink strokes.
It is made of sympathetic inks such as acids, juice and others.
They are possibility of development depending on the ink used.
Methods of development can be by heat, water, chemical fuming or ultra=violet
light process.
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Contact writing
= It refers to partially visible ink strokes caused by sudden contact between a
sheet of paper with another paper containing fresh ink.
Can be enhanced through fuming or ultra=violet light process.
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Typeface
= It is the printing surface of the type block in a conventional typewriter.
In electric typewriter it is the printing surface of the rotating head
sphere.
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Typeface defect
= Any form of peculiarity of the type of printing caused by actual damage to
the typeface metal or which maybe an abnormality in its printing condition.
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Characters
= It includes the letters, symbol, numeral or points of punctuation.
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Pica typeface
= Typeface impression ordinarily spaced 10 characters to the horizontal inch.
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Elite typeface
= Typeface impression ordinarily spaced 12 characters to the horizontal inch.
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Proportional spacing machine
= A typewriter with a type of letter spacing similar to the spacing of
conventional printer in which all letters are allotted horizontal in conformity
with their relative widths.
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Transitory defects
= Is an identifying typewriter characteristic which can be eliminated by simple
cleaning the machine or replacing the ribbon.
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Permanent defects
= It is any identifying characteristics of the typeface which cannot be
corrected by simply cleaning the machine or replacing the ribbon.
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Mal alignment or alignment defects
= It refers to the defect in the printing condition of the type character in
which the letters are printed either at the bottom, left or right of inclined from
its proper position.
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Principal technique utilized in typewriting identification
=1. Measure the typeface pitch
2. Verify the size and design
3. Look for individual typeface defects
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Typeface defects
=1. Vertical mal alignment
2. Horizontal mal alignment
3. Twisted letters
4. Off-its-feet
5. Rebound
6. Actual breakage
7. Clogged typeface or dirty
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Vertical mal alignment
= A character printing above or below its proper position.
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Horizontal mal alignment
= An alignment defect in which the characters are printed to the left or right
of its proper position.
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Twisted letters
= Letters and characters are designed to be printed at a certain angle to the
baseline. Once letter leans to the left or right of its proper position such is
called twisted letters.
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Off-its-feet
= It is a condition of the typeface printing at which the character outline is
not equally printed, that is the printing is heavier in one side than the remainder
or the outline of the character.
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Rebound
= A typeface defect in which a character prints double impression with the
lighter one slightly off=set to the right or the left.
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Actual breakage
= Any of the peculiarity of typewriting caused by actual damage to the typeface
metal.
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Clogged typeface or dirty
= It is a defect 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 or g and etc.
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Document examiner
= He is the one who studies scientifically the details and elements of document
s in order to identify their source, or to discover other facts concerning them.
This term is often connected to the term handwriting identification experts,
however, nowadays the work has outgrown the latter title and involves other problem
that merely the examination of writing.
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Expert witness
= It is a witness by reason of his special training or experience is permitted
to express their opinion regarding the issue, or a certain aspect of the issue,
that is involved in legal proceedings. His purpose in court is to interpret
technical information in his particular specialty in order to assist the court in
administering justice. A document examiner can testify in court as an expert
witness.
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Graphology
= It is the art of attempting the character or personality of an individual
from his handwriting.
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Examination
= It is the art of making a close and critical study of any material.
It is the process necessary to discover the facts about a material.
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Comparison
= It is the act of setting two or more items side by side to weigh their
identifying qualities.
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Collation
= It is the critical examination or side by side examination.
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Infrared examination
= It employs invisible radiation beyond the red portion of the visible spectrum
that is usually recorded on specially sensitized photographic emulsion.
This is also known as heat ray
It also can be converted to visible light by electronic viewing equipment
which to date has limited use in questioned document work.
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Ultra-violet examination
= UV radiation is invisible and occur in wavelength just below the visible
blue=violet of the visible spectrum. These rays react on some substances so that
visible light id reflected, a phenomenon known as fluorescence.
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Microscopic examination
= An examination that is made with the microscope in order to discover minute
physical details of an object or specimen.
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Oblique or sidelight examinations
= An examination with the illumination so controlled that it gazes or strikes
the surface of the document from one side at a very low angle.
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Transmitted light examination
= An examination n which the document is viewed with the source of illumination
behind it and the light passing through the paper.
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Counterfeit
= It is an imitation of something genuine with the intent to defraud usually in
the form of bank notes and coins.
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Pen failure
= An interruption in a stroke caused by the failure of the ink of the writing
instrument to register on the surface of the paper.
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Erasure
= the removal of writing, typewriting, or printing from the document. It may be
accomplished by two means; (1) with the use of chemical agent (2) by abrasive
erasure.
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Ink eradicator
= It consist of the chemical solutions which are capable of bleaching ink.
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Obliteration
= the blotting out or smearing over of writing to make the original invisible
or undecipherable.
It is seldom used due to its obviousness. Covering or smearing over the
original writing with an opaque substance is often accomplishes smeared=over
writing.
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Decipherment
= It is the process of making out what is illegible or what has been effaced.
It refers to the process of searching or making out the material which is illegible
without actually developing or restoring the original writing on the document
itself.
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Restoration
= It describes any process in which erased writing is developed or brought out
again on the document itself.
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Insertion or interlineations
= It includes the addition of writing and other material between lines or
paragraphs, to the addition of whole pages to a document.
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Addition
= Any matter made a part of a document after its original preparation.
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Altered document
= it is one that contains some changes, either as an addition or deletion.
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Blank paper
= a sheet of paper that contains no visible or readily visible writing.
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Secret inks
= a material used for writing which is not visible until treated by some
developing processes or substance that can serve as a secret or sympathetic ink.
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Writing impressions
= A small writing indention completely devoid of pigment
They may be found on a sheet of tablet paper that may be immediately below
the one on which writing is done, or the remain after the pencil or typewriting has
been erased.
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Writing offsets
= The result from a paper coming in contact with fresh ink writing. They may be
the mirror of the entire words or sentences.
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Pen
= A writing instrument used in applying inks on a paper.
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Ball point pen
= A writing instrument which has in its marking tip a small freely rotating
ball bearing which rolls the ink on a paper.
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Agraphia
= It is a mental disease in which an individual loses his ability to write
although he could still grasp the writing instrument.
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Carbon outlined process
= It is where a carbon paper interleaves between the genuine document
containing a signature and the document intended to be forge. The outline of the
genuine signature is traced with a dry pen or any pointed instrument to make the
carbon offset on fraudulent document. The carbon outlined is then traced with an
ink to make appear as if it is a genuine signature.
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Indention process
= It is a similar process as the carbon outlined process except that the carbon
paper was not used. The forger traced the genuine signature using sufficient
pressure with the aid of a dry pen stylus or any pointed instrument. The depression
or indented signature is thereafter over written with an ink to finish the forgery.

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Projection or transmitted light process
= The fraudulent document is on top of the document containing the document
containing the genuine signature, using a transmitted light gadget, a strong source
of light will strike either from the back or bottom of the two documents which
superimposed the outline of genuine signature.
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Microphotography
= A microscopically small photograph.
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Photomicrography
= It is a magnified photograph of a small object produced by connecting the
camera with the ocular of a compound microscope.
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Photomicrography
= It is a magnified picture of a small object obtained without the use of a
microscope but by means of a short focus lens and bellows extensions of greater
than twice the focal length of the lens.
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Graphometry
= it is the analysis of handwriting by means of comparison and measurement.
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Indented writings
= It is a term applied to the partially visible depression appearing on a sheet
of paper underneath the one on which the visible writing appears. It may also occur
after the pencil or typewriting has been erased.
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Hesitation
= It is a term applies to the irregular thickening that is found when the
writing slows down or stops while the penman takes stock of the position.
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Line quality
= This refers to the condition of the line itself.
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Good line quality
= It is characterized by smoothness of writing, regularity of curves and
shading.
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Poor line quality
= Characterized by simulated forges or laboriously disguised handwriting as
well as of the handwriting of persons who write very little.
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Safety paper
= A paper which has been treated in such a way to minimize the chances of
forgery by erasure whether mechanical or chemical.
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Calligraphy
= The art of beautiful writing
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Cacography
= The term that refers t bad handwriting
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Majuscule
= Big letter
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Minuscule
= Small letter
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Alignment
= It is the relation of parts of the whole line of writing of line of
individual letters in words to the baseline.
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Superimposing ink
= It is an ink used for blotting or smearing an original writing.
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Contact writing
= A partially visible writing due to sudden contact of a blank paper into
another paper containing a freshly applied ink.
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Invisible writing
= A writing which has no readily visible or legible writing for they have been
made by using sympathetic ink.
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Conclusion
= A scientific result relating observe facts by logical, common sense reasoning
in accordance with the establish rules or laws. An expert�s conclusion is commonly
referred to in, legal term as his opinion.
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Exemplars
= Refers to specimen standards or disputed document which has been used for
comparison.
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Exhibit
= It is a term used when referring to the specimen standards or questioned
which is presented in court as evidence.
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Reference collection
= These are material complied and organized by the document examiner to assist
him in answering special questions comprises his reference collection which he
regularly maintained.
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Writing
= It is the result a very complied series of acts being as a whole or a
combination of certain forms of visible mental and muscular habits acquired by long
continued painstaking effort.
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Photography in Questioned Document Examination�
=1. Photograph serves as a record of initial conditions of disputed documents.
2. Photograph makes clear what is otherwise may be hidden or indistinct.
3. By means of photographs, writing in question can be accurately be enlarged so
that every quality and characteristics of I can be clearly and properly interpreted
whether the facts so shown points to genuineness or forgery.
4. Any number of accurate reproduction of the document could be made through
photographs, y=thus affording unlimited opportunity for study, comparison and
evaluation by any number of examiners that could not be possible by using the
documents alone.
5. Photograph can be cut apart, as may be desired and the various parts
classified for comparison.
6. Photograph is also useful in showing delicate decorations due to chemical
erasures or other fraudulent changes that may be otherwise overlooked or
interpreted.
7. Erasures by abrasion made by ordinary rubber eraser can be sometimes shown
clearly and recorded in permanent form by a photograph taken which the paper placed
obliquely to the plane of the lens and the plane are inclined at just the right
angle of reflection so as show differences in the reflected light from the
different points of the paper surface.
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Magnifying lens
= Is one of the most commonly used instrument by bank personnel. A magnifying
lens of at least 5 times magnification, with built=in lighting and base are found
to be more useful.
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Stereoscopic binocular microscope
= It is an instrument that can show 3=dimensional enlargement of the documents
or writing under examination
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Measuring test plates
= These are ruled or lined transparent glasses, which are used in measuring the
alignments, slant, spacing or size of letters, words or the whole writing.
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Table lamps
= It is an artificial light with adjustable shade. Example of these is a
gooseneck lamp for controlled illuminations, usually used for sidelight
examinations.
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Transmitted light gadget
= It is considered as one of the powerful instrument used in the laboratory. It
is built=in box, with bulb placed inside and the strong source of light will be
transmitted either at the back or bottom of the document under examination.
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Ultra violet lamp
= It is an artificial lamp with its radiation capable of creating a
fluorescence depending upon the material under examination. Their wavelengths
appear just before the blue=violet color of the visible spectrum.
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Fluorescence
= It is the emission of light by a substance that has absorbed light or other
electromagnetic radiation.
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Infrared viewer
= It is an artificial light with a wavelength that appears beyond the red
portion of the visible spectrum. This is an instrument that is best in deciphering
obliterated forms of writings and additions of writing or ink strokes in a
document.
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Iodine fuming apparatus
= It is one of the traditional development methods generally used upon porous
materials such as paper and cardboard, and is usually applied before ninhydrin or
silver nitrate processing.
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