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Documents > Inks |
All documents which are disputed due to the nature of their
origin are termed as questioned documents.
(I). Composition of a Document
i). PAPER -
Paper was made by the Chinese and was introduced in Europe via
the Arabs about the early part of the 12th century. It is interesting
to note that no paper was made in England prior to 1493. Initially,
paper was made from rags
but by 1850's, it began to be made from straw and then from
wood-pulp. The thickness of the paper, its general colour and
structure of fibers offer good and sufficient data in comparing
two or more papers.
ii). INKS -
The word "INK" is derived from the Latin encaustum,
the name given to the pigment used for colouring baked tiles
and it comes to us through the old French enque. It is believed
that the Chinese were the first to use ink
which was primarily made of vegetable varnish. However, it was
only in the year 1834 that better forms of inks started to be
manufactured and its use became very common.
Different Types of Inks:-
a). Indian Ink -
It consists of amorphous carbon in the form of lampblack
made into a cake with hide glue. The colour of this ink, which
can vary from dark brown to blue-black, is governed by the quality
of the lampblack, which again depends largely upon the materials
from which the lampblack is made.
b). Printing Ink -
This type of ink is made from the latest synthetic resins well
as the older oils which have been modified by chemical treatment.
c). Canceling Ink -
This ink contains carbon which is opaque to infrared radiation
and thus can be photographically removed to reveal the mater
it is supposed to conceal.
d). Iron-Tannin Ink -
It is made by mixing soluble salts of iron with extracts from
the vegetable materials such as tanbark and nut-galls.
e). Record Ink -
These are high quality inks which are assured of long life under
reasonable storage conditions of the document. They are also
of slow-drying types.
f). Fountain Pen Ink -
They can be divided into-
(i) Blue-black Permanent -
This is a record ink which contains about half the normal concentration
of iron compounds with an increased proportion of dyestuff.
(ii) Non-staining - It consists
of no iron salts and is a little more than a dilute aqueous
solution of one or more synthetic dyestuff.
g). Copying Ink -
It is substantially a concentrated record ink to which has been
added chemicals such as glycerin or dextrin.
h). Logwood Ink -
It is obtained by mixing chromium salts with an aqueous extract
of logwood chips.
i). Quick-Drying Ink -
These inks are basically made of alcohol or acetone to give
it a quick-drying effect but it has its disadvantages as although
the ink dries on paper pretty fast, it also dries up in pens
and containers.
j). Hectograph Inks -
It contains of a layer of either a gelatin-glycerol mixture
or of a special clay.
k). Stamp-Pad Inks -
These inks are similar to the hectograph inks only to be heavily
loaded with humectants which prevent the pad from drying up.
l). Typewriter Ribbon Ink -
This ink consists of slow drying oil such as castor oil mixed
with olein and an oil-soluble dyestuff.
m). Ball-point Pen Ink -
This ink is base on polyethylene glycols of suitable viscosity.
They are non-hygroscopic and its dyestuff is of high tinctorial
powder.
n). Liquid Lead Pencil Ink -
It is just like an ordinary ball-pen with a fluid containing
finely divided carbon substituted for the usual dyestuff containing
ink.
iii). PENS -
The reed pen dates back to 1500 BC when it was used for writing
on papyri in ancient Egypt. Quill pens were originally for writing
on vellum. Then came the steel pens. In 1820, James Perry took
out patent for the preparation of
pen nibs made from a hard elastic metal which had a split point.
This was followed by the fountain pen. Then came the stylographic
pens which have now been replaced by the ball point pen.
TYPES OF PENS -
a). Reed Pen -
This pen has very broad strokes and have relatively little flexibility.
It also requires frequent re-dipping of the pen in ink.
b). Quill Pen -
This pen has a very smooth writing. There is a considerable
difference in thick and thin strokes. There is also great flexibility
of nib but it requires frequent re-dipping of the pen in ink.
c). Steel Pen -
It has clear cut strokes. There is a great variation from pen
to pen in the breadth and flexibility of nibs. It also requires
frequent re-dipping of the pen in ink.
d). Fountain Pen -
This pen also has clear cut strokes. No re-dipping of pen in
ink is required and there is consistent quality of ink in the
pen tracks.
e). Stylo-graphic Pen -
It has a single pen track and does not require re-dipping of
pen in ink. However, the paper is often scratched by the sharp
point of the pen.
f). Ball Point/Gel Ink Pen -
It also has a single pen track with a smooth writing. It does
not require any re-dipping of the pen in ink.
iv). PENCILS -
A writing pencil, commonly called a lead pencil does not contain
lead but a mixture of graphite, clay and wax and sometimes lamp
black. The colour of the pigment on the paper ranges from a
rich black to a pale gray. It is not
possible to tell the age of a pencil mark, as once it is placed
on the paper, it does not undergo any chemical reaction.
v). TYPESCRIPT -
SEE SECTION ON TYPEWRITING
(II). Nature Of Disputed Documents
-
All documents of disputed or questioned nature can be classified
into the following main classes:-
a). Documents in which genuine signatures and writing are attacked
and denied purposely by the defendants and the accused persons.
b). Documents bearing forged signatures.
c). Documents having fraudulent matter above the genuine signatures
which are fraudulently obtained on a blank sheet.
d). Documents having fraudulent additions, alterations, inter
lineation.
e). Documents questioned regarding the age or date.
f). Disguised or anonymous letter writing
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