Handwriting

Related expressions

Movement

An important element of handwriting. It embraces all the factors related to the motion of the writing instrument: skill, speed, freedom, hesitation, rhythm, emphasis and tremor. The manner in which the writing instrument is moved, that is, by finger, hand, or arm action, may influence each of the factors.

Natural Variation

Normal or usual deviations found between repeated specimens of any individuals handwriting or in the product of any typewriter or other record making machines.

Patching

Retouching or going back over a defective portion of a writing stroke. Careful patching is a common defect in forgeries. Patching may also be referred to as retouching.

Pen Lift

An interruption in a stroke caused by removing the writing instrument from the paper.

Pen Position

The relationship between the pen point and the paper. Specifically, the angle between the nibs of the pen 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, but is not always revealed except when the writing was executed with a nib pen.

Pen Pressure

The average force with which the pen contacts the paper, as estimated from an examination of the writing. Pen pressure, as opposed to pen emphasis, consists with the usual or average force involved in the writing rather than with the periodic increases.

Retracing

Any stroke that goes back over a writing stroke. In natural handwriting there may be instances in which the pen doubles back over the same course, but some retracing in fraudulent signatures represent a reworking of a letter form or stroke.

Rhythm

That element of the writing movement marked by regular or periodic recurrences. It may be classed as smooth, intermittent, or jerky in its quality.

Slant

The angle or inclination of the axis of letters relative to the baseline.

Speed of Writing

Not everyone writes at the same rate, so that consideration of the speed of the writing may be a significant identifying element. Writing speed cannot be measured precisely from the finished handwriting, but can be interpreted in broad terms such as slow, moderate or rapid.