Indicators of Handwriting

A good forensic scientist will analyze every little detail in handwriting which ranges from how the perpetrator dots his i's to the shape and size of the letters. Except for the most experienced of con artists, it is very possible to tell if two signatures or documents were written by the same person or not. The following are indicators of different styles of handwriting.

• Line quality: Do the letters flow or are they written with very intent strokes?
• Spacing of words and letters: What is the average space between words and letters?
• Ratio of height, width, and size of letters: Are the letters consistent in height, width, and size?
• Lifting pen: Does the author lift his or her pen to stop writing a word and start a new word?
• Connecting strokes: How are the capital letters connected to lower-case letters?
• Strokes to begin and end: Where does the letter begin and end on a page?
• Unusual letter formation: Are there any letters written with unusual slants or angles? Are some letters printed rather than written in cursive?
• Pen pressure: How much pen pressure is applied on upward and downward strokes?
• Slant: Do letters slant to the left or right? If slant is pronounced, a protractor may be used to determine the degree.
• Baseline habits: Does the author write on the line or does the writing go above or below the line?
• Fancy writing habits: Are there any unusual curls or loops or unique styles?
• Placement of diacritics: How does the author cross the t’s or dot the i’s?