QUESTIONED DOCUMENT EXAMINATION

CHEMICAL ERASURE
Fig.2. developed through the use of chemical staining (zonrox)

Involves the use of

some chemicals or
reagents that is
capable of oxidizing or
Fig.1. an example of chemical erasure by using brown marker
bleaching an ink.

MECHANICAL ERASURE
Fig.4. examined thru ultra violet light
Type of erasure
done with proficient use
of knife edge, razor to
scrape/remove outer
layer of the paper or by
means of rubber erasure.
Fig.3. an example of mechanical erasure using razor blade

ADDITION OVERWRITING
Fig.8. The word is spelled as “usuakly” and the
writer corrected it to make it “usually”
Fig.5. The original amount of the check is 10, 000 pesos and
0 is added to make it 100,000, examined thru ultra violet light
It can be genuine
or fraudulent.
This type Generally, made
of disputed boldly and no
document may attempt is made
have done by to conceal the
addition or overwritten or
interlineation. overwriting. It
It could be a is to change the
word or sentence contents that is
added to change usually done made
the meaning of in a careful
the content of manner and every
the disputed effort to conceal
document. such changes.

INDENTED WRITING
Invisible indentation pressed into
the paper by the force of writing on
the above sheet. It can be deciphered
using side light process.

Fig.6. Side lighting process, to show shadows of the indentation

while being photograph

Fig.7. Using pencil to blacken the surface while the pressed portion is still
clear.
 SECRET INKS

Writing that is not legible to the reader so it can be

develop depending on what type of chemical or ink
composition was used in the document.
Examiner could use different light examination, apply
heat process, side lighting process for impressed
writing or may use lugol’s iodine solution as last
resort.

Fig.9. Milk as secret ink and apply heating process to burn the
sugar content of the milk so that the writing appears.
WATER-SOAKED PAPERS

Some papers need to be freeze-dried. Others

can be hung to dry or blow dried. Once they have
dried sufficiently, the pages can be individually
separated and laid on a flat surface to finish
drying.

Fig.10. The paper is dried and separated to other paper that is

soaked in water
CHARRED OR PARTIALLY BURNED DOCUMENT

Referred as brittle document and it does not

remain intact and becomes fragmented.
It can usually decipher using
alternative/artificial light source.

Fig.11. Document that is burned and examined thru artificial

light source (flashlight of the cellphone)

FOLDS

Documents that are folded are creased with a

sharp fold. Fold indicates that the material
was added before the fold was made.

Fig.12. The signature is added to a document that has a pre-

existing fold.