HANDWRITING CHARACTERISTICS
Module No. 4
Total Study Hours: 6hrs
Module Writer: PROF. RIZALINO D. FLORES III
Registered Criminologist
Phd in Crminal Justice w/ Specialization in Criminology
Module and Learning Facilitator Contacts: FB Messanger: Rizalino Flores
rizalinoflores3@[Link]
Module Learning Outcomes:
Recognize various individual and class characteristics of handwriting
Demonstrate capability to examine writing characteristics to point out identity and non-identity among
known and unknown writing specimen
Perform handwriting examination and identification
Prepare case folder on handwriting examination
Present findings on handwriting examination and apply various techniques in preparation and presentation
of exhibits
CONTENT
I. Writing Characteristics
Writing Characteristics Commonly Involved in the Examination of Handwriting
1. Form – refers to the shape or design of the individual letters.
a. Arc or Arch – rounded inner part of an upper curve
b. Beard – an introductory up and down curve (double hitch)
c. Buckle knot – horizontal loop to complete a letter
c. Central part or body – small circle that lie on the base line
[Link] broken/junction broken – disconnected, non - continuous stroke
e. Eyeloop/eyelet – Small oblong strokes
f. Foot of the letter or oval – the bottom part of the letter that lies on the base-
line
g. Diacritic – element added to complete a letter
h. Hitch – a backward introductory or ending stroke
i. Hook/through – a minute and involuntary talon – like formation often found
at the commencement of an initial stroke
j. Hump – the rounded outside top of the bend in small letters
k. Spur – lone running initial or terminal strokes
l. Knob – rounded appearance at the beginning and ending of stroke
m. Main stroke/shank stem – long downward stroke (backbone of the letter)
n. Whirl – long upward stroke
o. Space filler/terminal spur – long downward and upward terminal stoke
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2. System – refers to the particular style or system of writing practiced or learned
in childhood.
I.1. Old English Round Hand of 1849
I.2. Modified Round Hand of 1960
I.3. Spencerian System of 1865-1890
I.4. Modern Vertical System 1890-1900
I.5. Angular System
3. Muscular Habits or Coordination – muscles should coordinate or contribute in
order to have a continuous process, downward and upward coordination in
making letters or words.
4. Retracing – any strokes which goes back over another writing stroke is retracing.
5. Connections, Connecting Stroke or Links – it refers to the strokes or links which
connect a letter with one following.
6. Size – as a writing characteristic is somewhat divergent under varying conditions
and may have but little significance when applied to only one example, or to a
small quantity of writing like signatures, unless the divergence is clearly
pronounced.
7. Slant – this refers to the slope of writing in relation to the base line.
8. Spacing –between letters in words depend upon the length of the connecting
strokes or links.
9. Proportion – of a part or to the other part of a letter, or the relative height of
one letter to another letter can be found in different writings.
10. Movement – is an important element of handwriting. It embraces all of the
factors which are related to the motion of the writing instrument, skill, speed,
freedom, hesitation, rhythm, emphasis, tremor, and the like.
Different Writing Movements Employed by Different Writers
1. Finger Movement – thumb, index and middle finger are used exclusively in the
writing of letters.
2. Hand Movement – it involve actions of the hand as a whole, with fingers playing but a
minor role, their action being limited mainly to the formation of the smaller parts of the
letter.
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3. Forearm or Muscular Movement – writing is produced by movement of both hand
and arm and also fingers in some cases. The elbow is the pivot of the lateral movement.
4. Whole-arm Movement – this movement involves action of the entire arm without
rest and is employed in very large ornamental writings, in ornamental penmanship, in
blackboard writing, and by few writers in making all the capital letters.
11. Line Quality – refers to the visible record in the written stroke of the basic
movement and manner of holding the writing instrument.
12. Tremor – a writing weakness portrayed by irregular shaky strokes.
*Deviations from uniform strokes or the lack of smoothness perfectly apparent
even without magnification.
*Lack of muscular skill with the pen.
Kinds of Tremor
1. Genuine Tremor such as Tremor of Age, Illiteracy and Weakness.
2. Tremor of Fraud
13. Skills – the proficiency in the art of writing usually perceived to manual dexterity
and legibility in writing.
14. Rhythm – the elements of the writing movement which is marked by regular or
periodic recurrences. It may be classified as smooth, intermittent, or jerky in its
quality.
15. Speed – slow, moderate and rapid.
16. Shading – the widening of the ink stroke due to added pressure on a flexible pen
point or to the use of stub pen.
Shading Considerations:
1. Form
2. Intensity
3. Skill
4. Frequency
5. Exact location
17. Pen – emphasis - it refers to the more obvious increase in the width of the
stroke.
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18. Pen Position – the relationship between the pen point and the paper is known
as pen position and the line of writing and between the pen point and the paper
surface, are the elements of pen position. Both conditions may be reflected in
the writing.
19. Pen Pressure – the average force with which the pen contacts the paper, it may
be estimated from an examination of the writing. Pen pressure as opposed to
pen emphasis deals with the usual or average force involved in the writing
rather than the periodic increase.
20. Pen Lifts – an interruption in a stroke caused by removing the writing
instrument from the paper.
*Hiatus – Interruption in strokes produced without lifting the writing instrument
21. Terminal and Initial Strokes – terminal strokes refer to the last element of a
letter; initial strokes refer to the first element of a letter of first letter of a loop.
22. Alignment – is the relation of successive characters or letters of a word,
signature or line of writing to an actual or imaginary baseline.
23. Arrangement
24. Rubric or Embellishment – this refers to additional, unnecessary strokes, not
necessary to legibility of letter forms or writings but incorporated in writing for
decorative or ornamental purpose.
D. Classification of Writing Characteristics
Writing Characteristics – any property or mark which distinguishes, and referred to as
identifying marks in document examination.
Habits – Any repeated elements which may serve to individualized writing
Group of Handwriting Characteristics
1. Class Characteristics – those which conform to the general style acquired when learning
to write and which is fashionable at the particular time and place
2. Individual Characteristics – those introduced into the handwriting consciously or
unconsciously by the writer. They are highly personal or peculiar and are unlikely to
occur in other instances.
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Kinds of Individual Characteristics
1. Conspicuous Characteristics – those that can be seen by our naked eye.
2. Inconspicuous Characteristics – those that cannot be seen by our naked eye at the first
glance, therefore, it needs special instruments to locate them prior to identification.
II. 3 Main Principles Of Handwriting Identification
1. Given a sufficient amount of handwriting, NO TWO SKILLED writers exhibit identical
handwriting features
2. Every person has a range of natural variation to his/her handwriting
3. Every person has a range of natural variation to his/her handwriting
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Assessment Methods
1. Analytical Exam
2. Conduct of Request standards
3. Recitation
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