Comparative study of Devnagari script on porous and non-porous surfaces using unconventional writing instruments

Abstract

Handwriting analysis plays very important role in forensic investigations, offering insights into individual identity and crime scene circumstances. However, the surface on which handwriting appears whether porous or non-porous significantly influences its characteristics, especially when unconventional writing instruments are used. Most forensic examiners find it challenging to analyze the handwriting features of Devnagari script due to unconventional writing instruments and surfaces. Hence, a systematic study has been carried out on unconventional porous surface (i.e., cloth and wood) and non-porous (i.e., plastic and metal) surfaces using unconventional writing tools such as lipstick and kajal and evaluation has been done by comparing it with standard pen-paper. This present study illustrates how the physical properties of these surfaces affect the manifestation of handwriting characteristics. This study was carried out on 20 handwriting sample which were collected on porous surface (wood, cloth) and on non-porous surface (aluminium, plastic) using unconventional writing instruments (lipstick and kajal). Various handwriting features were reported and authorship were established by observing individual characteristics.