Standards - Forgery finder, handwriting, handwriting identification, altered documents, infrared photography, infrared photograph techniques, handwriting analysis, check, cheque

Standards, or exemplars, are the known, verifiable handwriting samples that are compared to the disputed handwriting. It is important to remember that, in an examination involving disputed handwriting, the standards will make or break your case. If the examiner has poor standards, this will impact the strength of the opinion.

The standards should be relevant (compare signatures to signatures - numbers to numbers), contemporaneous (bracketing the date of the disputed handwriting), in sufficient numbers and, as always, original documents. And they fall in one of two categories: natural standards and requested standards.

Natural standards are handwriting samples that are product of everyday living... shopping notes, checking accounts,voting records, love letters... And, for all the obvious reasons, natural standards are the more reliable. Cancelled checks are excellent standards as they are easy to date, contain signatures, numbers, handwritten words, mannorisms (2/1/99 - 02-01-99-Feb.1st, 1999) and are generally readily available.

Requested standards are handwriting samples that are written spesifically for exemplar purposes. Requested standards may be used in conjunction with natural standards or, occasionally, may be the only standards available. Unfortunately, requested standards can be somewhat suspect. A person so inclined could intentionally alter their handwriting to such a degree as to render the standards useless. Or the very circumstances surrounding the taking of the standards can be so intimidating to the writer that their handwriting may become ridged and unnatural. To minimize the impact of these influences, the following methods should be followed:

1. First and foremost, NEVER, show the writer the subject handwriting. Dictate everything. Do not help the writer with spelling or punctuation.

2. Unless the writing instrument is significant in some way (in which case you would let the writer choose from a selection of pens and pencils), have the writer use black or red ink. In the event that these documents must be reproduced for court exhibits, black and red photograph best. Use white unlined paper.

3. Take relevant standards. If the writer is suspected of signing a name other than their own, have them sign THAT name. Have them sign one or two signatures to a page and remove that page from their view. If the writer is intentionally attempting to discise their writing, do not give them the opportunity to copy their own concoction over and over.

4. Mix up the standards...signatures, alphabets (printed and cursive), words containing the same letter combinations as the disputed handwritings, then back to signatures.

5. Rush them. Do not let the writer think about what is occurring.

6. Take many standards. More is always better with requested standards.

7. Date and initial (witness) the standards.

8. If the document on which the disputed handwriting appears is significant in any way (as in checks), take the standards on blank reproductions.

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