Handwriting: The Collection of Samples
David Ellen, Stephen Day, Christopher Davies · 2018
The major use of forensic examination of handwriting is the comparison of the questioned writings with those known to be by certain people. The term universally applied to writings known to have been made by a particular person is "known writing". In criminal investigations, the suspect can be asked to provide samples of his or her handwriting. Signatures are an important source of known writings written in the course of business. When samples of writing are taken, it is necessary to obtain adequate amounts of usefully comparable writing. The person who is asked to give samples will sometimes think that if he or she disguises his or her writing, he or she will confuse the expert making the comparison; on some occasions, people will attempt to deceive the examiner whom they have engaged. In cases where writing has been copied, it is important to take samples from the person whose writing has been targeted.