CHAPTER 14

INK AND PAINT

OBJECTIVES
Define "ink" and "pigments“
 Present the importance of ink analysis in forensics
Describe the chemical composition of paints
 Show the value of paint as evidence
Enumerate the process of obtaining paint standard
Describe the process of forensic examination of
paints;
 and Show the process of motor vehicle identification.
WHAT IS INK?
Ink refers to a mixture of dyes and pigments, either in
liquid or paste form. This is used to color a surface in
order to produce an image, text, or design. Ink is also
used for drawing or writing with a pen, brush, or quill.
Thicker inks that come in paste form are used in
letterpress and lithographic printing purposes.
FOUR COMPONENTS OF INK FOUR CLASSES OF INK

VEHICLES (BLINDERS) AQUEOUS

COLORANTS LIQUID

ADDITIVES PASTE

CARRIER SUBSTANCES POWDER

PIGMENTS
Pigments are solid or opaque particles suspended in
ink to provide color. Qualities such as hue, saturation,
and lightness can Vary depending on the source and
type of pigment. Pigment inks are vary deeper often
than dyes because they are more color- fast; however,
they are also more expensive, less consistent in terms
of color, and have a limited color range compared with
dyes.
DYE
Dye-based inks are generally much stronger than
pigment-based inks and can produce more vivid colors
of a given density per unit of mass. However, dyes are
dissolved in the liquid phase and have the tendency to
soak into paper, making the ink less efficient and
allowing it to "bleed" at the edges. Dye-based inks are
often made with solvents that dry rapidly; these are
also used with quick-drying methods of printing, such
as blowing hot air on the fresh print.
Importance of ink analysis in Forensic
Ink analysis plays an essential role in the investigation
of questioned documents, including forged checks,
wills, or altered records. The chemical composition
can be revealed by laboratory analysis, and the results
can help determine whether there have been any
additions or alterations made to a document.
ANALYSIS OF INK
1. SPECTROMETRY
The main method of non-destructive ink analysis is
micro-spectrophotometry, which involves scanning the
ink with ultraviolet or infrared light to record its
spectra.
Each type of ink produces a distinct spectrum when
exposed to UV and visible light. Using this method,
the spectrum of the ink on the document can be
compared with the spectra of standard inks.
Other non-destructive or minimally destructive
methods, such as Raman spectroscopy, can also be
used to supplement micro-spectrophotometry. This
method can be very informative in scanning the
document with infrared light. This is because ink is
invisible at high frequencies, but pencil marks that
may lie underneath will still show up.
2. MICROSCOPIC ANALYSIS
Using this method, the investigator can see slight
changes in ink color that are not visible to the naked
eye. Such changes could indicate alterations,
obliteration, and overwriting. The ink itself is analyzed
by non-destructive or destructive testing, depending
on whether a sample must be taken from the
document, which could inevitably alter it. In this case,
it would be better to try the non-destructive approach
first, so that the document is left intact.
3. CHROMATOGRAPHY
Chromatography means "writing with colors." The main method
of destructive testing of ink is known as thin layer
chromatography (TLC). Although TLC does not really destroy a
document if done with care, a photographic record of the
original document should still be taken before the procedure is
started. Another technique, high performance liquid
chromatography (HPLC), can be used as an alternative to TLC.
HPLC involves injecting the ink sample onto a long, thin metal
column that is then washed over with a mixture of solvents, thus
carrying the ink components one at a time to an electronic
detector. Non-destructive and destructive methods of analysis
can identify more than 90% of ballpoint pen inks.
4. PAINT
This is a type of colored liquid applied to a surface in
order to decorate or protect it or to create an image on
a surface.
Chemical Composition of Paints
 Pigments
 Vehicles
 Solvents
 Special Paints
PHYSICAL & CHEMICAL FEATURES OF
PAINT
Paint films are characterized by various physical and
chemical features. The physical characteristics include
layer sequence and thickness, color, contaminants, surface
and layer features, and weathering. Chemical components
may include polymers, pigments, and additives. These
features can be determined and evaluated using a wide
range of microscopical, macroscopical, chemical, and
instrumental methods. Limited sample sizes and sample
preservation requirements require that these methods be
selected and applied in a reasonable sequence to maximize
the discriminating power of the analytical scheme.
VALUE OF PAINT AS EVIDENCE
When a suspect tries to force entry into a building, he or she is
likely to use some type of instrument. If the object being forced
is painted, chips of that paint may cling to the instrument or
attach onto the suspect's clothes. In addition, if the instrument
being used is painted, some of the paint may be transferred to
the object being forced open. Transfers of paint chips, or traces,
are equally probable in automobile collisions.
Paint can be very distinctive in its characteristics. In any form,
paint can be useful as clue material in an investigation. Paint
evidence can come in the form of a chip from a dried paint
surface, trace, smear, or intact on some object. As physical
evidence, paint is most frequently involved in cases of burglaries
and hit-and-run accidents.
OBTAINING PAINT STANDARD
The paint standards should be taken from two sources: one
from within any area damaged in the commission of a crime,
and the other from an adjacent undamaged area. An
important exception is if the damaged area is a toolmark, that
is, no paint sample must be taken from within so that the
mark is not tampered.
2. For a crime laboratory to make a comparison, standards or
samples of paint must be taken. When samples are collected
from any painted surface, the paint should be chipped rather
than scraped off. This prevents the layer structure from being
altered and also prevents the loss of important potential
points of identification.
3. in hit-and-run investigations, the standards from
the undamaged painted area of an automobile must be
taken from the areas immediately adjacent to the point
of impact, but not from an area where the paint is
corroded.
 4. Each paint sample should be separately packaged
and marked in order to indicate the exact location of
its recovery.
FORENSIC EXAMINATION OF PAINTS
This can be done in several ways.
 1. Comparison of paint pigment a. neutron activation
analysis b. emission spectroscopy (can identify ~ 15 to 20
elements) c. X-ray diffraction and X-ray spectroscopy
2. Side by side comparison for surface, texture, color, and
color layer sequence
3. Comparison of binder a. presence of polymer -
pyrolysis gas chromatography b. binder composition-
infrared spectrophotometry
4. Determining the make and model of car
MOTOR VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION
One important aspect of forensic paint analysis is the
identification of the possible year of manufacture,
make, and model of a motor vehicle using paint
collected at the scene of a crime or an accident. The
color comparison and chemical analysis of the
undercoat and paint formulations are collections of
paint standards, knowledge of paint formulations and
processes, and access to databases of color and
composition information.