INK AND PAPER

10 ANALYSIS

OVERVIEW

This module intends to explain the chemistry aspect of questioned document

evidence. In some cases wherein the crime scene investigator is confronted with such
evidence, an important decision must be made as to the importance and
determination of the kind of examination that would help the case.
LEARNING OBJECTIVE

 To be able to explain the chemistry aspect in questioned document evidence

 To be able to determine the different characteristics involved in ink and paper
analysis and methods of examination
SCOPE

A. VIDEO SPECTRAL COMPARISON

B. THIN-LAYER CHROMATOGRAPHY
C. INK ANALYSIS
D. PAPER ANALYSIS

INTRODUCTION

A questioned document is a document where the authenticity and origin is

suspected. It may be the entire document that has been fraudulently made or part of it
was altered or forged. Thus, ink and paper analysis is applied.

A. VIDEO SPECTRAL COMPARISON (VSC)

 video spectral comparison – a process wherein infrared examination may use

specialized light filters and films for photographic imaging or equipment
specifically designed for infrared imaging
 video spectral comparator – the equipment used in video spectral
comparison to detect forgeries in documents
  when conducting examination using infrared (IR),
depending on its chemical properties, an ink can be
observed to luminesce or glow, be transparent or
appear unchanged
 security documents uses luminescent features such
as holograms and watermarks
 additional features includes embedded information
decoder containing invisible personal information hologram sticker

B. THIN-LAYER CHROMATOGRAPHY

 used for ink comparisons than obliterations

 3 to 4 microscopic punches of the suspect ink using a blunted needle are
taken from a portion of the written line placed in a small test tube and the ink
is separated from the paper portion using solvent pyridine then spotted onto
paper or glass TLC plates, placed in the solvent system and allowed to
develop
 the ink spot separate into 3 or 4 bands of color
and migrate upward along with the solvent
 comparison of bands created by different
suspect ink areas allows for conclusive
opinions of difference, however, even if the
bands created appear in the same pattern, a
conclusive opinion that inks are from a
common source
(writing instrument) is not possible
 each ink manufacturer fills thousands of writing instruments for different
pen distributors with ink of the same formulation
 conclusion: the inks appear consistent and could have come from a common
source
 although most TLC processes have the best results when traditional ballpoint
pen inks are involved, other solvents can be employed to use TLC for other
inks, such as those found in rollerball or plastic tip pens

C. INK ANALYSIS

Determination of the ink component could indicate the possibility of using two or
more instruments in writing in a document.

1. Ink Comparison

 different inks may absorb, reflect and transmit various ratios of infrared
and normal light frequencies
  inks of the same color does not necessarily mean that they all absorb
light in the same IR region because inks from different manufacturers
contain different components
2. Ink Composition

 inks from different manufacturers may be chemically different or

contain different components
 inks are composed of dyes in solvents and other materials that when
used impart selected characteristics on the surface
 process is destructive to parts of the document

3. Ink Line Striae

 different writing implements often contain slight imperfections near the

writing end of the implement
 striae – lines of non-inked areas
 the ink line striae are not a reliable means of identifying an individual
pen, it may be possible to identify a particular type of instrument (e.g., a
ballpoint pen) is used

4. Printers and Typewriters

 old ribbon typewriters if recovered may provide information that can

link the questioned document to that particular typewriter and also the
font ball on the typewriters
 printers are more difficult to link a document to a specific printer,
however, the examiner may be able to determine the difference between
an inkjet, a laser printer, and a photocopier

D. PAPER ANALYSIS

1. Paper

 paper – commonly made of wood or cotton materials

 contains both physical and chemical characteristics
 can be distinguished through watermarks, fiber contents, security
threads and inclusions, reflectivity, interaction with inks and chemical
sensitivity
 during production, various sizings, fillers and coatings are added
a. sizings (such as rosin) – enables the paper to resist ink penetration
b. fillers (such as clay, calcium carbonate and titanium dioxide) –
improves the surface and color of the paper
c. coatings – improves its appearance and printing properties
  paper examinations usually are necessary when there is some question
as to whether or not one or more pages have been added to a multipage
document or if a document was created at the time that it was
purported to have been created
 the simple examination of the staple and staple hole can shed light on
the authenticity of the document

2. Fiber Identification
 the fiber content of a paper can affect the way that paper absorbs ink or
reacts to chemicals
 can identify and quantify the fiber content (down to the type of wood)
of a paper sample, but these chemical methods can destroy the
document

3. Paper Size and Thickness

 standard sizes of paper (letter, long, legal and A4), a very small
differences in lengths and widths exist among different brands of paper
using the simple process of stacking the paper
 paper micrometer – an instrument that measures the minute difference
in paper thickness that display in thousandths of an inch

4. Paper Opacity, Color and Brightness

 directly related to the chemical additives that were used in the paper
during its production
 difference may be observed with the naked eye by using a light source,
one paper may transmit more light than another
 two papers with brightness appears similar to the unaided eye display
differences when subjected to a short-wave or long-wave UV light
source: one paper may be dull in appearance and the other may glow

5. Watermarks

 watermark – an area of translucent design when held up to the light

incorporated into the paper by one of several different methods during
the paper production
 design that contain clues to the manufacturer, the entity for whom the
paper was produced and the first date of that production
 deters alteration because they cannot be erased, photocopied or faked

6. Age of a Document

 dating the document to the earliest date it could have been created
  done on documents that are being presented as being older than they
actually are
 examined through watermarks, indented writing, printing, typewriting
and inks

7. Graphic Arts (Commercial and Office Printing)

 documents generated with artwork, negatives, plates, or office printing

inkjets or laser printers may be identifiable with a common source
through the possible location where the document originated from
 this may lead to video evidence of the suspect, or possibly, the
company employees are familiar with the suspect.

8. Rubber Stamps

 used when repetitive actions are required and its use may create
imperfections in the stamp which may be useful in linking the actual
stamp to a stamped document and the ink on the stamp

REFERENCES

Baxter, Everett Jr. 2015. Complete Crime Scene Investigation Handbook. CRC Press. FL, USA

James, Stuart H., Nordby, Jon J., Bell, Suzanne. 2014. Forensic Science An Introduction to Scientific and
Investigative Techniques. Fourth Edition. CRC Press. FL, USA
Saferstein, Richard. 2013. Forensic Science. Pearson Education, Inc. New Jersey, USA

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