Handwriting Analysis

History of Handwriting Analysis:

Ever since the late 1500's people have been writing about analyzing handwriting and it's traits. Alfred Binet did research from 1893 to 1907 into the science of graphology and called it "The science of the future." The interest in Graphology or handwriting analysis took off after WWI, and in the 1920's Ludwig Klages founded and published his findings. In 1929 the American Grapho Analysis Society was created by Milton Bunker. The decline in Graphology resulted from a large expulsion of members from the society in the 70's and the rise of the internet in the 90's.

List of 12 Handwriting Characteristics:



Line quality.  Are the pen marks smooth
and free flowing or shaky and wavering?
This can be connected to the speed
that the document was written at.


Spacing of words and letters.  What is it the
spacing between letters and words?  Is it consistent?


Ratio of the relative height, width and size
of letters.  What is the ratio?  Is it consistent?


Pen lifts and separations.  Does the person
stop to form new letters and begin words?
Forgeries may have lifts in unusual places.


Connecting strokes.  Are capitals connected
to lowercase letters and are there connecting
strokes between letters and words?

Beginning and ending strokes.  Are these straight,
curled, long or short, an upstroke or a downstroke?


Unusual letter formation.  Are there any
unusually formed letters such as backward,
letters with a tail, or unusual capitals?


Shading or pen pressure.  Is the pen pressure
on the upward or the downward strokes?


Slant.  Is slant left or right or straight up and down?
Is there consistency between the slant of letters.


Baseline habits.  Is the writing
above or below a line?


Flourishes and embellishments.  Are
their any?  If so what are they?


Diacritic placement.  How are the t’s crossed?
Take note of the dotting of i’s, j’s.  For example
are the dots to the right or left of the letter?

Pictures and Analysis of Handwriting Template:

Reflection on Check Forgery Activity:

Famous Forgery Case:

In 1795 a man by the name of Mr. Ireland brought forth a new version of "King Leare" that was supposedly written by Shakespeare himself. It was upon further examination of the handwriting and paper that watermarks were found in the paper. Edward Malone published a refutation saying that Shakespeare would have used a much higher caliber of paper to write this play, and that it was most likely someone tried to forge it by piecing old pieces of paper together from whatever source they could find it. Years later Ireland admitted to the fraud and said he went to a bookseller and paid him to rip out pages from older volumes in his shop.