Characteristics of erasable ball point pens

In 1979 shortly after the introduction of the erasable ball point pen two papers were published describing its basic characteristics (W.J. Flynn, J. Police Sci. Adm., 7 (1979) 346–349; P. Pfefferli and J. Mathyer, Rev. Int. Criminol. Police Tech., (1979) 407–419). Since that time two additional makes of pens and other colors of ink have been introduced, and the quality of writing has been significantly improved.The ink of the erasable pen differs significantly from that of the standard ball point pen, and for that matter from ink of all other modern day pens. In what way might this newer pen produce a written line different from other ball point pens? This is one question that the paper addresses with limited success.When erased, what techniques can be used to attempt to determine the text of the original writing? The writer considers all standard methods for deciphering erased writing and discusses modification by use of infrared film with oblique light photography — the method most successful in determining the original contents of the erasure.     

Experimental Research on Class Identification with a New Type of Erasable Gel Pens

A new type of erasable gel pen ink is becoming increasingly popular because of the modifiable characteristics for writing on documents. This study attempts to distinguish 12 types of blue and black erasable gel pens produced by mainstream stationery manufacturers using infrared (IR) visual analysis, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis, fluorescence analysis, and microspectrophotometry. The results demonstrate that IR visual, FTIR, and fluorescence analysis can be used to help distinguish each type of erasable gel ink. While microspectrophotometry can be used to effectively differentiate the blue gel inks in this study, there are limitations with respect to distinguishing black erasable gel pens. When these four optical analyses methods were used in combination, the gel inks could be accurately distinguished.     

Characterization and dating of blue ballpoint pen inks using principal component analysis of UV-Vis absorption spectra, IR spectroscopy, and HPTLC

The ink of pens and ink extracted from lines on white photocopier paper of 10 blue ballpoint pens were subjected to ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy, infrared (IR), and high-performance thin-layer liquid chromatography (HPTLC). The R(f) values and color tones of the bands separated by thin-layer chromatography (TLC) analysis used to classify the writing inks into three groups. The principal component analysis (PCA) investigates the pen responsible for a piece of writing, and how time affects spectroscopy of written ink. PCA can differentiate between pen ink and ink line indicates the influence of solvent extraction process on the results. The PCA loadings are useful in individualization of a questioned ink from a database. The PCA of ink lines extracted at different times can be used to estimate the time at which a questioned document was written. The results proved that the UV-Vis spectra are effective tool to separate blue ballpoint pen ink in most cases rather than IR and HPTLC.     

Determining Line-Crossing Sequences Between Laser Printing and Writing Pen Using Coaxial Light

Determining the application sequence of hand-written pen ink and printer toner lines has attracted significant interest in questioned document examination. This study uses coaxial light to determine line-crossing sequences, with intersections observed under a VSC600 forensic document workstation and a Leica M205A Stereo-microscope. Results show that reflected light at intersections and color contrast between intersections and nonintersections was observed when a hand-written ink line passes over a toner line, while a toner line passing over a written line appeared dull, with no color contrast. The procedure was tested under a range of conditions, such as types of writing pens and laser printers, the writer, and writing pressure, with the latter playing an important role in the evaluation. To validate the results, a 90% detection rate and 98% accuracy rate were achieved from 50 samples of blind testing, which is more effective than optical microscopy.     

Application of Micro‐Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy to Ink Examination in Signatures Written with Ballpoint Pen on Questioned Documents

Questioned documents examined in a forensic laboratory sometimes contain signatures written with ballpoint pen inks; these signatures were examined to assess the feasibility of micro‐attenuated total reflectance (ATR) Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy as a forensic tool. Micro‐ATR FTIR spectra for signatures written with 63 ballpoint pens available commercially in Korea were obtained and used to construct an FTIR spectral database. A library‐searching program was utilized to identify the manufacturer, blend, and model of each black ballpoint pen ink based upon their FTIR peak intensities, positions, and patterns in the spectral database. This FTIR technique was also successfully used in determining the sequence of homogeneous line intersections from the crossing lines of two ballpoint pen signatures. We have demonstrated with a set of sample documents that micro‐ATR FTIR is a viable nondestructive analytical method that can be used to identify the origin of the ballpoint pen ink used to mark signatures.     

Preliminary Study on Determining the Sequence of Intersecting Lines by Fluorescence Technique

The determination of the sequence of intersecting lines is an important part of questioned document examinations. A fluorescence technique was used to determine the sequence of heterogeneous intersecting lines produced using inkpad ink, stamp‐pad ink, ballpoint pens, gel pens, fountain pens, colorants of carbon paper, photocopiers, laser printers, and inkjet printers. A SteREO Discovery.V20 equipped with the ZEN Blue Lite software was chosen to perform the tests.As the results obtained from the study were positive under most conditions, the fluorescence technique was found to be very successful in determining the sequence of intersecting lines from ballpoint pen, gel pen, fountain pen, photocopier, laser and inkjet printers, and inkpad inks. The method was also successful in determining the sequence of intersecting lines from ballpoint pen, photocopier, laser printer, and stamp‐pad inks under most conditions. The technique was not successful in determining the order of crossing lines blending together.     

Determination of Changes in Crystal Violet and Phenoxyethanol (Dating Ink)

Ink dating is a significant problem in terms of forensic science. Ballpoint pens are generally used as writing tools on the documents. Aging is determination of the changes in dyes and solvents in the composition of ink over time by analytical methods. The evaporation of the solvents from the paper surface is faster than the decomposition process of the dyes. In this study, in 2017, we were asked by the court to determine whether the texts on the suspicious pages of an agenda dated 1996 were written within 2 years or earlier. Phenoxyethanol and dyes were examined in the composition of all suspected ink samples. The results show the determination of both the decomposition process of the dyes and the evaporation process of phenoxyethanol in the aging of the document entries written by ballpoint pen.     

基于银胶表面增强拉曼光谱检验蓝色书写字迹初探

目的用基于银胶的表面增强拉曼光谱技术检验蓝色签字笔字迹。方法取4种常见不同牌号的蓝色签字笔在其字迹上滴加微量银胶,用显微共焦拉曼光谱仪进行检验。结果不同品牌的蓝色签字笔字迹的表面增强拉曼光谱不同。结论基于银胶的表面增强拉曼光谱技术可用于纸张上蓝色签字笔字迹的检验。     

Initial Study for the Determination of the Sequence of Intersecting Lines between Gel Pens and Seals by Optical Coherence Tomography*

Determining the sequence of intersecting lines is a significant issue in the forensic document examination that can reveal the fraud or distinguish between different allegations. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a high-resolution cross-sectional imaging technique that has been introduced into forensic science field recently. The potential of OCT as a novel method to determine the sequence of intersecting lines was examined for the first time. In this study, a spectral-domain OCT system with a center wavelength of 900 nm was employed to perform nondestructive examination on determining the sequence of 18 heterogeneous intersecting line samples produced using three types of gel pens and three brands of stamp pad ink seals. Two-dimensional (2D) cross-sectional, and three-dimensional (3D) volumetric images of the intersecting lines were obtained by the OCT system. Several features were noted and analyzed to successfully determine the sequence of all the 18 samples. Blind tests were also conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of OCT technique. The results illustrate that OCT technology can provide an effective and accurate method for sequencing intersecting lines of gel pen ink and seal ink, which may complement the conventional methods used in the examination of questioned documents.     

Use of lycode powders for the examination of documents partially written with erasable ball point pen inks

It was discovered by change that lycode powders adhere to erasable ball point pen ink strokes. A study of this phenomenon was carried out to determine what type of inks reacts physically with lycode powders. A further evaluation was made to learn if this effect continued after the erasable ink became indelible. It was also found that obliterated erasable ball point pen ink can be read by applying lycode powders and that the powders react in a similar way with typewriting from a conventional inked typewriter ribbon. Treatment in this case is completely non-destructive since the lycode powder can be wiped off the paper surface.     

书写时间确定技术的国内现状与发展

综述了书写时间确定技术在国内的现状及最新发展,主要从三方面进行了介绍:水溶性书写时间确定技术;圆珠笔油墨书写时间确定技术;间接确定文件的书写时间方法。     

LC—MS／MS法测定蓝色圆珠笔油墨中的碱性染料

目的建立蓝色圆珠笔油墨中碱性染料的LC—MS／MS方法,为蓝色圆珠笔油墨的种类鉴别提供方法。方法用二级质谱寻找并确定结晶紫、甲基紫、维多利亚蓝B、碱性紫14、碱性蓝7和罗丹明B等碱性染料的特征性母离子／子离子对。收集50种蓝色圆珠笔．划线后对其笔道用0．5mm直径打孔器取样,乙腈超声提取。液相分离采用WatersXBridgeC18柱。流动相为0．1％甲酸缓冲液（A）-乙腈（B）,梯度程序洗脱。结果4个点的取样量足以满足检测需要,采用相对峰面积的定量方法．结果重现性好．RSD％≤2．3％。应用该方法对50种蓝色圆珠笔油墨中的碱性染料进行检测,区分率为94．4％。结论所建LC—MS／MS方法定性准确,定量可靠,为蓝色圆珠笔油墨的种类鉴别提供了方法。     

Determination of the Chronological Order of a Laser Printing and Gel Pen Writing Without any Crossing Strokes

Laser printers and writing instruments are being exploited by the forgers to produce fabricated documents. They often produce such documents by appending genuine signature on a blank sheet and later printing on it. Often these fabricated documents do not contain intersection of strokes and may pose a difficulty to forensic document examiners in analyzing cases related to such documents. Keeping in mind the limited research work done on nonintersecting strokes, the present study has been conducted with an aim to determine the sequence of nonintersecting strokes of gel pens and laser printers. Three hundred samples of nonintersecting strokes of gel pen ink and laser printing were prepared. Of these 300, 150 had laser-printed text below the gel pen strokes and the remaining 150 were prepared with gel pen stokes below the laser-printed text. The samples have been analyzed using Nikon SMZ 800N stereomicroscope. Three micro-conformation features, that is, pattern of toner distribution, ink distribution, and fiber distribution have been observed in the samples. The results demonstrate the successful establishment of sequence of nonintersecting strokes in case of gel pen and laser-printed documents by the determination of micro-conformation features.     

Source Determination of Red Gel Pen Inks using Raman Spectroscopy and Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy combined with Pearson's Product Moment Correlation Coefficients and Principal Component Analysis

The potential combination of two nondestructive techniques, that is, Raman spectroscopy (RS) and attenuated total reflectance–fourier transform infrared (ATR‐FTIR) spectroscopy with Pearson's product moment correlation (PPMC) coefficient (r) and principal component analysis (PCA) to determine the actual source of red gel pen ink used to write a simulated threatening note, was examined. Eighteen (18) red gel pens purchased from Japan and Malaysia from November to December 2014 where one of the pens was used to write a simulated threatening note were analyzed using RS and ATR‐FTIR spectroscopy, respectively. The spectra of all the red gel pen inks including the ink deposited on the simulated threatening note gathered from the RS and ATR‐FTIR analyses were subjected to PPMC coefficient (r) calculation and principal component analysis (PCA). The coefficients r = 0.9985 and r = 0.9912 for pairwise combination of RS and ATR‐FTIR spectra respectively and similarities in terms of PC1 and PC2 scores of one of the inks to the ink deposited on the simulated threatening note substantiated the feasibility of combining RS and ATR‐FTIR spectroscopy with PPMC coefficient (r) and PCA for successful source determination of red gel pen inks. The development of pigment spectral library had allowed the ink deposited on the threatening note to be identified as XSL Poppy Red (CI Pigment Red 112).     

利用IDMH-Z780系统对碳素钢笔水书写字迹与印章印文交叉时序的无损检验研究

目的研究常见的碳素钢笔水书写笔迹与不同印章印文交叉时序的相关性。方法利用IDMH-Z780系统对制成的实验样本进行微观观察,并对三维数学模型图进行特征分析。结果先墨后朱,交叉部位字迹边缘状态完整,等高线宽度、流向未见明显变化;先朱后墨,书写笔迹色料分布发生数字图形曲面变化。结论用IDMH-Z780系统可以观察分析朱墨交叉部位的微观特征和无损检验研究。     

签字笔笔痕同一认定充分条件的分析

签字笔因其具有书写流利、使用方便的特点，是现今最常见的书写工具之一。文章根据签字笔的结构特点和笔痕特征的形成机理，结合收集的96份实验样本，首次对签字笔笔痕进行同一认定应具备的充分条件进行初步研究，探讨了书写纸张施胶程度、衬垫物软硬程度、书写人运笔力度以及书写速度等书写条件因素的具体影响，同时研究了签字笔启用初期与末期书写笔痕特征可能出现的变化问题，总结出笔痕特征反映性、稳定性和特定性的具体特点，提出书写条件与书写笔的相近书写阶段均是签字笔笔痕同一认定充分条件的重要组成部分的观点，以期对文检工作者利用笔痕特征有一定的借鉴意义。     

Examination of heterogeneous crossing sequences between toner and rollerball pen strokes by digital microscopy and 3-D laser profilometry

The determination of line crossing sequences between rollerball pens and laser printers presents difficulties that may not be overcome using traditional techniques. This research aimed to study the potential of digital microscopy and 3-D laser profilometry to determine line crossing sequences between a toner and an aqueous ink line. Different paper types, rollerball pens, and writing pressure were tested. Correct opinions of the sequence were given for all case scenarios, using both techniques. When the toner was printed before the ink, a light reflection was observed in all crossing specimens, while this was never observed in the other sequence types. The 3-D laser profilometry, more time-consuming, presented the main advantage of providing quantitative results. The findings confirm the potential of the 3-D laser profilometry and demonstrate the efficiency of digital microscopy as a new technique for determining the sequence of line crossings involving rollerball pen ink and toner.     

Examination of the Sequence between Laser Printing and Rollerball Pen Writing Without an Intersecting Stroke

Examining the sequences of printing and writing is a significant method of determining the authenticity and validity of documents. Forensic document examiners have extensively studied crossing lines, which has produced useful information. However, the sequence for laser printing and rollerball pen writing without crossing strokes has not been studied. To solve this problem, volunteers were invited to write characters on A4 paper with different rollerball pens using two sequences. Four laser printers applied print to these sheets, and the materials were examined using an Optem A-Zoom2 video tomography microscope. Consequently, distinguishing features were noted between the materials produced in both sequences. These features might provide a scientific basis for accurately determining the sequence between laser printing and rollerball pen writing in the absence of intersecting strokes.     

光谱成像检验法在朱墨时序鉴定中的应用

光敏印文色料与签字笔书写色料交叉重叠后,因互溶渗透不易形成层状结构而使判定朱墨时序的难度较大。光谱成像检验法是通过比较交叉点、纯印文色料、纯墨迹色料处的反射曲线位置来判定交叉时序关系。