SUGGESTED PROCEDURE FOR TAKING crude X.

This authenticating mark is still

REQUEST HANDWRITING STANDARDS IN ALL used today by illiterates, and if properly
TYPES OF QUESTIONED-DOCUMENT PROBLEMS witnessed, if can legally stand for a
signature. Ballot marks are also referred to
• Have subject seated in a natural position at table or as cross marks because of the common
desk having smooth writing surface. practice of marking with an X.
● EVIDENTIAL SIGNATURE - Is not simply a
• Furnish subject with paper and writing instrument signature it is a signature, signed at a
similar to those used in questioned writings, lie; paper particular time and place, under particular
should be same size, and ruled or unruled; as conditions, while the signer was at particular
questioned document: if questioned document is in age, in a particular physical and mental
written furnish subject with pen and ink, etc. condition, using particular implements, and
with a particular reason and purpose for
• Never permit the subject to see any writing on the recording his name.
questioned document. ● FRAUDULENT SIGNATURE. A forged
signature. It involves the writing of a name
• Dictate material to be written (or printed, if as a signature by someone other than the
questioned material is hand printed): give no person himself, without his permission, often
assistance in spelling or arrangement on page. with some degree of imitation.
Dictate at a rate of speed, which will produce the ● FREEHAND SIGNATURE. A fraudulent
subject natural writing habits. signature that was executed purely by
simulation rather than by tracing the outline
• Remove each specimen upon completion by subject of a genuine signature.
number in consequence, date, time and identify by ● GUIDED SIGNATURE. A signature that is
initiating each, and request subjects to sign each executed while the writer's hand or arm is
specimen. steadied in any way. Under the law of most
jurisdictions such a signature authenticates a
• Observe all writing done by subjects and indicate legal document provided it is shown that the
any attempt of disguise, and whether subjects writer requested the assistance. Guided
appears to be normally right or left handed, etc. signatures are most commonly written during
a serious illness or on a deathbed.
HOW TO PREPARE AND COLLECT ● IMITATED SIGNATURE. Synonymous with
HANDWRITING STANDARDS? freehand forgery.
● MODEL SIGNATURE. A genuine signature
Factors to Consider in the Selection of standards that has been used to prepare an imitated or
● THE AMOUNT OF STANDARD WRITTEN traced forgery.
● SIMILARLY OF SUBJECT MATTER. If the ● THEORY OF COMPARISON - The act of
questioned writings are hand printed, then setting two or more signature in an inverted
get hand printed standard or exemplar. position to weigh their identifying
● RELATIVE DATES of the questioned and significance, the reason being that those we
the standards writing standard signatures or fail to see under normal comparison may
writing must be those written five (5) years readily be seen under this theory.
before or five (5) after the date of the
questioned signature or writing. The examination of signatures is considered a
specialized branch of handwriting identification,
INVESTIGATION AND DETAILED EXAMINATION for the following reasons:
OF SIGNATURES • A signature is a word most practiced by many
people and therefore most fluently written.
SIGNIFICANT TERMS • A signature is a means to identify a person and
● Signature - a name of person signed by have a great personal significance.
himself on a document as a sign of • A signature is written with little attention to
acknowledgement. spelling and some other details.
● CROSS MARK. Historically, many who
could not write signed with a cross mark or
• A signature is a word written without conscious ● LETTER SPACE - The amount of space
thought about the mechanics of its production and is left between letters.
written automatically. ● LINE DIRECTION - Movement of the
• A signature is the only word the illiterate can write baseline. May slant up, down, or straight
with confidence. across the page.
● LINE QUALITY - The overall character of
CLASSES OF SIGNATURE the ink lines from the beginning to the ending
● FORMAL OR COMPLETE - used in signing strokes.
very important document There are two classes: Good Line quality
● INFORMAL OR CURSORY - used for and Poor Line quality.
routine document The visible records in the written stroke
● CARELESS SCRIBBLE - used for not so of the basic movements and manner of
important document such as delivery of mail holding the writing instrument is
or receipt of purchase equipment, etc. characterized by the term "line quality". It is
derived from a combination of actors
FORGERY - Is an act of simulating or tracing including writing skill, speed rhythm, freedom
somebody's signature without the latter's consent for of movements, shading and pen position.
profit. ● GESTALT - The German word that means
"complete" or "whole".
TYPES OF FORGERY A good gestalt needs nothing added or taken
● Simple forgery - a forges signature where away to make it "look right". Also a school of
no attempt has been made to make a copy handwriting analysis that looks at
or facsimile of the genuine writing of a handwriting as a whole picture.
person purported to sign the document. Also ● GRAPHOANALYSIS - the study of
known as spurious signature handwriting based on the two
● Simulated or Copied forgery - a forged fundamental strokes, the curve and the
signature which resembles the genuine straight strokes.
signature written in free-hand. Considered as ● GRAPHOMETRY - analysis by comparison
the most skillful type of forgery. and measurement.
● Traced Forgery - forged signature which ● GRAPHOLOGY - the art of determining
closely resembles the genuine made by character disposition and amplitude of a
some tracing process or outline form. person from the study of handwriting.
It also means the scientific study and
Methods of tracing analysis of handwriting, especially with
• Carbon outline process - used of carbon paper. reference to forgeries and questioned
• Indention process - used of considerable pressure, documents.
Canal-like process. ● LINE SPACE - The amount of space left
• Projection or transmitted light process - used of between lines.
light from the back or bottom. ● MANUSCRIPT WRITING - A disconnected
• Laser method - used of hologram. form of script or semi-script writing.
This type of writing is taught in young
OTHER IMPORTANT TERMINOLOGIES children in elementary schools as the first
step in learning to write.
● CACOGRAPHY - a bad writing. ● MARGINS - The amount of space left
● CALLIGRAPHY - the art of beautiful writing. around the writing on all four sides.
● COLLATION - side by side comparison; ● MOVEMENT - It is an important element in
collation as used in this text means the handwriting.
critical comparison on side by side -It embraces all the factors which are related
examination. to the motion of the writing instrument skill,
● DOWNSTROKE - The movement of the pen speed freedom, hesitation, rhythm,
toward the writer. emphasis, tremors and the like.
● HANDLETTERING - Any disconnected -The manner in which the writing instrument
style of writing in which each letter is is move that is by finger, hand, forearm or
written separately; also called handprinting. whole arm.
● NATURAL WRITING - Any specimen of ● SLOPE/SLANT - the angle or inclination of
writing executed normally without any the axis of the letters relative to the baseline.
attempt to control or alter its identifying There are three classes: Slant to the left;
habits and its usual quality or execution. Slant to the right; and Vertical Slant.
● NATURAL VARIATION - These are normal ● SPEED OF WRITING - The personal pace at
or usual deviations found between repeated which the writer's pen moves across the
specimens of any individual handwriting. paper.
● PEN EMPHASIS - The act of intermittently ● SPEED (SPEEDY) WRITING - Not everyone
forcing the pen against the paper surfaces. writes at the same rate so that consideration
When the pen-point has flexibility, this of the speed of writing may be a significant
emphasis produces shading, but with more identifying element.
rigid writing points heavy point emphasis can Writing speed cannot be measured precisely
occur in writing w/out any evidence of from the finished handwriting but can be
shading; the act intermittently forcing the pen interpreted in broad terms of slow, moderate,
against the paper with increase pressure. or rapid.
● PEN HOLD - The place where the writer ● TENSION - The degree of force exerted on
grasps the barrel of the pen and the angle at the pen compared to the degree of
which he holds it. relaxation.
● PEN PRESSURE - the average force with ● THREADY FORM - An indefinite connective
which the pen contacts the paper. Pen form that looks flat and wavy.
pressure as opposed to pen emphasis deals ● VARIABILITY - The degree to which the
with the usual of average force involved in writing varies from the copybook model.
the writing rather than the period increases, ● VARIATION - The act or process of
● PRINTSCRIPT - A creative combination of changing.
printing and cursive writing. ● WORD SPACE - The amount of space left
● QUALITY - A distinct or peculiar character. between words.
Also, "quality" is used in describing ● WRITING CONDITION - Both the
handwriting to refer to any identifying factor circumstances under which the writing was
that is related to the writing movement itself. prepared and the factors influencing the
● RHYTHM - The element of the writing writer's ability to write at the time of
movement which is marked by regular or execution.
periodic recurrences. It includes the writer's position (sitting,
It may be classed as smooth, intermittent, or standing, abed, etc.), the paper support and
jerky in its quality; the flourishing succession backing, and the writing instrument; writing
of motion which are recorded in a written ability may be modified by the condition of
record. Periodicity, alternation of movement. the writer's health, nervous state, or degree
● SHADING - Is the widening of the ink of intoxication
strokes due to the added pressure on a ● WRONG-HANDED WRITING - Any writing
flexible pen point or to the use of a stub pen. executed with the opposite hand that
● SIGNIFICANT WRITING HABIT - Any normally used; a.k.a. as "with the awkward
characteristic of handwriting that is hand." It is one means of disguise.
sufficiently uncommon and well fixed to Thus, the writing of a right-handed person
serve as a fundamental point in the which has been executed with his left hand
identification. accounts for the common terminology for this
● SIMPLIFICATION - Eliminating extra or class of disguise as "left-hand writing".
superfluous strokes from the copybook ● WRITING IMPULSE - The result of the pen
model. touching down on the paper and moving
● SIZE - May refer to the overall size of the across the page, until it is raised from the
writing or the proportions between zones. paper.
● SKILL - In any set there are relative degrees
or ability or skill and a specimen of PHILIPPINE BANKNOTES
handwriting usually contains evidence of the
writer's proficiency; degree, ability, or skill of • The New Generation Currency was printed by
a write proficiency. Oberthur Technologies, which won the bidding for
currency printing for all denominations held among six
participants.

• One of the requirements for NGC printing was for

the banknote security paper to carry the BSP-
specified paper-based security features

• These NGC security features were selected on the

basis of their machine readability and adaptability to
recent innovations in currency processing and
automated tellering machines.

• The new features of the NGC notes were designed

such that ordinary cash handlers can easily recognize
the authenticity of each denomination while at the
same time making it difficult and expensive for
counterfeiters to imitate.