Typewriter and

Typewriting
Identification
-Cloaue A. Camarinas
3BSCRIM-C
A. Definition of Typewriter
• It is a writing machine with
a keyboard for reproducing
letters, figures, symbols
and other resembling
printed ones; a machine
that can reproduce printed
characters on papers or
that can produce printed
letters and figures on
paper; a machine designed
to print or impress type
characters on paper, as a
speedier and more legible
substitute for handwriting.
 B. Significant Terms
1. Alignment - alignment defects include characters which write
improperly in the following respects: a twisted letter,
horizontal mal-alignment, vertical mal- alignment, and a
character "off its feet".
2. Alignment defect - include character which write improperly
in the following respects: a twisted letter, horizontal mal-
alignment, vertical, mal-alignment and a character special
adjustment to the types of block.
3. Carbon impression- any typewriting which is placed on the
paper by the action of the type faces striking thought carbon
paper is classed as a carbon impression. Generally, carbon
impressions are "carbon copies", but sometime original
typewriting is made directly through a carbon ribbon.
4. Character - in connection with typewriting
identification, the term "character" is used to include
letters, symbols, numerals, or points of punctuation.
5.Clogged (dirty) typefaces - with use the type faces
becomes filled with lint, dirty and ink, particularly in
enclosed letters such as the o,e,p, and g.
6.Defects - the term defect describes any abnormality
or maladjustment in a typewriter which is reflected
in its works and which leads to its individualization or
identification.
7. Natural variations - these are normal or usual
deviations found between repeated specimens of any
individuals handwriting or in the product of any
typewriters.
8. Off its feet - the condition of a typeface printing heavier on
one side or corner than over the remainder of its outline.
9. Defect - any identifying characteristics of a type-writer
which cannot be corrected by simply cleaning the type face
or replacing the ribbon is classified as a permanent defect.
10.Platen – the cylinder which serve as the backing of the
paper and which absorbs the blow on the type face is known
as a platen.
11.Proportional spacing typewriting – a modern form of
typewriting which resembles Printing in that all of the
horizontal space as they do with the conventional
typewriter. For example, the “I” occupies two units. The
“o” – three and the “m” – five. A typewriter of this design is
known as a proportional spacing machine.
12. Rebound – a defect in which a character prints a
double impression with the lighter one slightly offset to
the right or left.
13. Ribbon impressions – typewriting which is made
directly through a cloth ribbon is called ribbon
impression.
14.Ribbon condition – typewriter ribbons gradually
deteriorate with use and the degree of determination is
a measure of the ribbon condition.
15.Transitory defect – any identifying typewriter
characteristics which can be eliminated by cleaning the
machine or replacing the ribbon is described as a
transitory defects. Clogged type is the most common
defects in this class.
16.Twisted letter – each letter and character is designed to
print a certain fixed angle to the base line, due to wear,
and damage to the type bars and the type block, some
letters become twisted so that they lean to the right or
left of their correct slant.
17.Type face – the printing surface of the type block is
known as the type face, with most modern typewriter
this block is attached at the end of a movable arm or
type bar which propels the type face against the ribbon
and paper to make the typewriter impression.
18.Type face defects – any peculiarity of typewriting
caused by actual damage to the type face metal is
known as type face defect. These defect may be actual
breaks in the outline of the letter where the metal has
been chipped away sometimes referred to as broken
type, or they may be distorted outlines of the letter
where the type face metal has become bent or smashed,
they can only be corrected by replacing the type block.
C. Evolution of
typewriters
-Lovely Katrina A. Camiros
3BSCRIM-C
* The first patent, however, was granted by Queen Anne of England to
Henry Mill in 1714 for a machine designed to reproduce a letter of the
alphabet.
*In 1829, William Austin Burtof detroit, invented the
typographer
*In 1833 a french patent was given to the French
inventor Xavier Progin for a machine that embodied
for the first time one of the principles employed in
modern typewriters: the use for each letter or symbol
of separate typebars, actuated by separate lever keys.
• In 1843, American inventor Charles Grover Thurber
invented a typewriter which prints through a metal ring that
revolved horizontally above the platen and was equipped
with a series of vertical keys or plungers having pieces of
type at the bottom. The machine was operated by revolving
the wheel until the correct letter was centered over the
printing position on the platen, and then striking the key.
*Several other inventors attempted to produce machines
designed to make embossed impressions that could be read by
the blind. One such machine, developed by the American
inventor Alfred Ely Beach in 1856, resembled the modern
typewriter in the arrangement of its keys and typebars, but
embossed its letters on a narrow paper strip instead of a sheet.
*A similar machine created by the American inventor Samuel W.
Francis, and patented by him in 1856, had a circular
arrangement of typebars, a moving paper holder, a bell that
rang to signal the end of a line, and an inked ribbon. The
keyboard arrangement of francis's machine resembled the
black and white keys of a piano.
*The development of the first practical typewriter begun in 1866
by Christopher Latham Sholes and was patented in 1868. He
developed the first practical typewriter in cooperation with two
fellow mechanics, Carlos Gliden and Samuel Soule'.
*Six years later (1874), Christopher Latham Sholes entered an
agreement with eliphalet remington and sons, gunsmiths &
sewing machines manufacturers, the company produced the
remington model I
*Four years later, remington model ii was introduced
having both the lower and upper case of the alphabet.
*Mark twain (samuel clemens) was among the first to
buy a typewriter and the first to submit a typewritten
manuscript to a publisher.

*George Bernard Shaw recognized the importance of

typewriter when he became the first playwright to use
it as a stage prop in candida in 1897.
*The first basic change in typewriting operation appeared in
1961. Despite of the revolutionary advances in typewriting
capabilities, one essential element has remained unchanged
since the first remington. The keyboard arrangement,
nicknamed Qwerty for the top line of letters, was designed to
make it easier for salesmen to use the machine.
*A much more efficient arrangement was devised in
1936 by August Dvorak. The process of changing
over the Dvorak seemed so difficult that it was never
even begun.
*When Thomas Edison visited sholes to see his machine, he
forecasted that typewriters would one day be operated by
electricity.

*Soon afterwards, edison built such a typewriter. He used a series

of magnet, which made the machine cumbersome and too
expensive to be marketed.
*The first practical electric typewriter was invented in
1914 by James F. Smathers of kansas city.
*In 1933, the international business machines, Inc.
(IBM), introduced the first commercially successful
electric typewriter to the business world.
*The latest development in electric typewriter is one
which not only eliminates type bars and movable
carriages but can use six interchangeable type of type
faces.
E. The Landmarks In Typewriting Identification

1. The type faces used by the different type writer manufacturer can be
differentiated on the basis of design and have dating significance.

2. Through usage, typewriters develop individuality which can serve to

identify the typewriting of a particular typewriter.

3. The gradual development of typewriting individuality plus ribbon

condition and typeface. Cleanliness can be used to date a document
of fix it written a period of time.

4. Horizontal and vertical alignment, tilting characters, lack of

uniformity of impression (off-footedness); type-face score, breadths,
defects and deformities all serve to identify the type writing of a
particular machine.
D. Identification and examination of typewritten questioned documents

* Hagan in 1894, made the first comment on typewriting examination. He wrote

that all typewriter machines even when using the same kind of type become
more or less peculiar by use as to the work done by them. These peculiarities
positively connect them with the printing done by the machine.

* This exposition of the principles of typewriting identification was followed in

1900 by Ames who wrote that the identity of writing by different operators as
well as that done on different machines can be done with considerable degree
- Different operators have their own peculiar methods which differ widely in
the location of date, address, margins, punctuation, spacing, signing as well as
impressions from touch.

* Inseveral articles written between 1901 to 1907, Albert S. Osborne, the

foremost document examiner of the early 20th century, defined the principles
of typewriting identification used today. He called it “The Landmarks In
Typewriting Identification.”
F. Types Of Typewriters

Reporter: Jedelle Mae T. Canto

3 BSCRIM-C
 Conventional Typewriters
Using Type Bars
* Pica Type - 10 letter/inch
* Elite Type - 12 Letters/inch
* 6 Letters/inch
* Teletype Machine
* 14-16 letter/inch - specials typewriters
Typewriter Using Single
Element Or Ball
* A machine, capable of typing 10 or 12 characters per inch.
Change of horizontal spacing is done easily by the flip of a
switch.
Typewriter Using A Print Wheel
(Electronic Typewriter)

* This has a disc typedevice called a print wheel, The

printwheel contains all of characters represented on the
typewriter keyboard. This machine has the capability of typing
10, 12 and 15 letters per inch.
G. Classification Of
Typewriters Based On Letter
Designs
 The small “w”
* depending on the presence or absence of a center serif, height
of central peak and design of the two central diagonals.
 Crossbar of small letter “t”
• cross bar is either longer on the right or on the left side andor
equidistant on each side. The curved lower extension of the “t”
is either turn upward at a point the left of, to the right of, or
about even with the right terminus of the crossbar of the “t”.
 The small letter “g”

• upper oval is either much smaller or the same and/or different

or the same in shape than the lower oval. Upper and lower
ovals are either very closely spaced or not.
 Small letter “r”

• right arm is either long with very small curve at its end or a
long right arm with full curve at the end and/or the right arm
is short with its curve moderate to full.
 Small letter “y”

• has three distinctive designs:

lower stroke has a broad turn which forms a very shallow trough.
lower stroke has a deep full curve which clearly curves right
ward. Lower stroke turns sharply upward like forming a narrow
trough.
 Small letter “I”
• has two distinctive designs:
center of the dot is aligned with the central line of the vertical
staff. Center of the dot is set off to the left of the central line of
the vertical staff.
 Upper and Lower Strokes of
Capital Letter “E”
• maybe equal or the bottom stroke maybe longer than the
upper stroke. The serif is either vertical or oblique. The small
“e” may have its straight stroke either horizontal or oblique.
 Figure “7”
• horizontal stroke is either straight or curve
 Figure “5”
* horizontal stroke is either straight or slightly or fully curved
 The comma “,”
• tail may extend to the left of the dot or only very slightly to the
left of the dot.
 Parentheses
• may vary in curvature.

Take Note: Two typewritten documents are said to be typed from

one and the same typewriter if they agree in type face style,
design, spacing, alignment and three or four scars or damaged
type faces.
J. Positioning of the
Character on the Type-bar

Jayfaudz Nunangan
3 BSCRIM- C
1. A bad position of the bar on the plate of the
soldering apparatus, results in a bad portioning of the
character. It will be bent forward, backward or
sideways.
2. Sometimes a solder fails in the course of typing.
The character turns over the slides along its support.
The changes of alignment become grater and greater
growing in frequency in proportion with the collar of
the solder. This defect is detected in the writing by
the fact that the top and the bottom of the letter are
not printed with the same intensity and mostly, the
vertical misalignment has a tendency to vary at each
stroke and becomes so important that often a part of
both signs of the deficient characters are impressed
at the same time.
Defects of the Type-bar - The deformations of a type-bar modify the
position of the character in connection with the platen and alter the
originally correct writing.
.1. Any error of place position of the bar in the basket gives an incline to
itshead and to the ccharacter.
2. The type-bars are outer sinuous. Under the effect of an intensive
working, the bbend are modified, so that the type-bar elongates or shorten
and its head inclines forward or backward. This deformation causes a
misalignment of the character and no longer allows a uniform impression
of its ssurface
3. Twist of the type-bars is caused by mistakes of the typist. In depressing,
by error, two neighboring keys, two corresponding bars are moved towards
the type-bar guide 1, each bar undergoes the lateral strike of the other
and bends along its longitudinal axis. One error in manipulation does not
great damage but its repetition certainly develops the defect. The type-
bar thus bent no long offers a perfectly vertical surface to the axis of the
platen and the character strikes the paper more or less off its feet.
Defects of the Ring - On a worn type writer it is not
exceptional to find that the more active type-bars have
depressed the metal of the ring at their point of contact. It no
longer has any effect on the type-bars corresponding to the
depression, it no longer stops them in their travel and it does
not send them back to their original position.
These bars strike directly at the platen, stoop their
momentarily and fall back by their own weight giving by this
very slow motion a vibration to the character in the vicinity of
the pla- ten. At this time the escapement has already moved
and the character gives two impressions instead of one. The
second impression, displaced in connection with the first and
much paler seems to be its shadow. The name given to it is
'veiled stroke’.
Disorder of the Type bar guide - If the position of the
type bar guide is modified for some reason, the result
is a complete disorder of the writing. A guide moved
to the right will raise all signs on the right of the
keyboard and will lower all the signs on the left. If it
is moved to the left, it will cause the opposite effect.
Alteration of the Platen - The rubber of the platen
gets old and hardens, the surface formally smooth
becomes more and more irregular and rough and does
not offer a7nymore intimate contact with all surface
of the sign. The writing becomes inconsistent and the
same sign will print itself partially or entirely and
with a greater intensity and more intensively on the
tight or the left, on the bottom or the top
General Wear of a Typewriter - The typebars are subjected to a lateral
play particularly felt at the top. This gives poor accuracy at the point of
impact of the character. The same signs print themselves on the right or
on the left of their theoretical point of impact.
Typeface Misalignments – synonymous to “alignment defects:
1. Vertical Misalignment - A character printing above or below its proper
position. Possible causes are:
A. a character soldered too high or too low on the typebar;
B. an unsoldered character;
C. a typebar having lost its correct curvature;
D. a type bar having an oval of axis bearing;
E. misalignment of the typebar guide to the right or to the left; and
F. disorder of the capital letter shift lock.
2.Lateral or Horizontal Misalignment - An alignment defect in which the
character prints the right or left of its proper position is known as
horizontal alignment.
3. Oblique Misalignment – The character leans towards the right or towards
the left.
K. Typewriting Standards Or Exemplars
1.Typewriting Standards Or Exemplars – the procurement of
typewriting exemplars are grouped as follows:
A. Study of the questioned document by the investigator;
B. Procurement of the regular course of business typewriting;
C. Preparation of exemplar typewriting by the suspected
writer;
D. Preparation of typewriting exemplar by the investigator
on suspected typewriter; and
E. The procurement of the suspected typewriter itself by the
investigator.
2.Obtaining Known Typewritten Exemplars - Properly
prepared known typewriting samples not only facilitate the
examination in the laboratory but they aid immeasurably in
the demonstration in the court room.
3.How to obtain exemplars of typewriting?

A. If the typewriter ribbon is obviously new, remove it from the

typewriter and send it to the laboratory with the
typewriting exemplars prepared from another ribbon.(the
text of the material in question may still be discernible of
the ribbon)
B. Use paper of about of about the same size as the questioned
material, type out a full word for word copy of the message
in question, typographical errors, using as nearly as possible
the same degree of touch as that used in typing the
questioned material.
C. After placing the typewriter in a stencil position or removing
the cloth ribbon, obtain samples of each character on the
keyboard by typing through carbon paper which has been
inserted carbon side down over a piece of white bond paper.
D. Make certain that each specimen contain the make, model
and serial number of the typewriter from which it was
produced as well as the date and initials of the officer.
E. Typewriter specimens should be taken from suspected
typewriter/s. It is usually not necessary to forward the
typewriter to the laboratory if complete known exemplars
are obtained.
F. If possible, after a typewritten exemplar is obtained from a
suspected typewriter, the investigation should insure that
the typewriter is kept in its current condition.
G. With evidence thus obtained from typewritten documents,
the laboratory experts is in position to lend valuable
assistance to the solution and subsequent prosecution of
many cases.
H. Identification of typewriter
by the defects of the stroke

Reygie T. Yuro
 Typewriter of the same
make and model but of
different age have
differences attributed to
wear.
What to consider?
1. A typewriter coming out fresh
from the factory has already
some defects which give its
own personality. Whatever the
quality of the manufacture, a
typewriter is never absolutely
perfect.
2. Later, through faults of the
typist and also by waer, the
typewriter will acquire a
stronger individuality by new
defects which become more
and more prominent and in
time, progressively overcome
the initial ones.
PROCEDURE
1. Conduct preliminary examination
of the questioned document to
determine the make and model of
the typewriter.

2.Then study the defects of the

stroke which will distinguish the
suspected typewriter from the
others.
The defects of the typewriter maybe
compared to ailment or sickness and
congenital deformation while its translation
on the paper be compared to symptoms of
the defects. This comparison has the
advantage of sorting out the exact
conditions of the control of questioned
typewritten documents as follows:
1. first, it will show the actual state of the
typewriter and consequently that the
aspect of the stroke is not immutable but
evolves progressively so that a good
identification needs the comparison of
documents from sufficiently adjacent
period.
2. The health of a typewriter tends to
change and the defect become more
and more numerous and
characteristics. From time to time, an
overhead or repairs may help the
ailment definitely or at least give a
temporary of partial healing.
3. It will show that the expert does not
see the defect of the typewriter right
away but only its translation on the
paper by a writing anomaly of which
he must appreciate the cause
4.Lastly it will explain hat certain anomalies
are not even a ascribable to an organic
cause of the typewriter but to a
phenomenon outside it, for axample, an
error of manipulation by the typist may give
some anomalies of the stroke and have no
connection with the mechanism of the
typewriter itself. Others are due to a
temporary sickness such as torn ribbon
which will give an incomplete impression of
the character or dust which may choke the
mechanism of the stroke. It is only the
permanent faults which permit of a positive
identification.
Defects of the character
1. The character may show a distortion in its
engraving, a “break” which is shown by an
alteration of the design. Exceptionally, it
means a defect of manufacture. Most
often, the break occurs when the machine
working. The metal is locally damaged by
the continued striking of the letter against
hard surfaces and according to the general
direction of the striking will dented or
deviated.
• In the first case the altered sign
will print an incomplete design
with broken or interrupted lines, In
the second case it prints a
deformed sign. The predominant
cause of the defect is that
corresponding bars strikes the back
of the first and crashes on it.
2. Twist of the printing surface which comes
in the course of manufacturing. Irregular
tempering gives an abnormal contraction
of the metal for the bearing of the
character again the plated and gives a
local Impression more intense and more
heavily inked.
3. Misalignment of the two signs engraved on
the same character so that they are not

set exactly one under the other. This

defect maybe due to a bad engraving of

the mold.
J. Positioning of the Character on
the Type-bar

- Nunangan, Jay Faudz

3 BSCRIM-C
1. A bad position of the bar on the plate of the
soldering apparatus, results in a bad portioning of
the character. It will be bent forward, backward or
sideways.
2. Sometimes a solder fails in the course of typing. The
character turns over the slides along its support. The
changes of alignment become grater and greater
growing in frequency in proportion with the collar of
the solder. This defect is detected in the writing by
the fact that the top and the bottom of the letter are
not printed with the same intensity and mostly, the
vertical misalignment has a tendency to vary at each
stroke and becomes so important that often a part of
both signs of the deficient characters are impressed
at the same time.
*Defects of the Type-bar - The deformations of a type-bar modify the
position of the character in connection with the platen and alter the
originally correct writing.
1. Any error of place position of the bar in the basket gives an incline to
its head and to the ccharacter.
2. The type-bars are outer sinuous. Under the effect of an intensive
working, the bbend are modified, so that the type-bar elongates or
shorten and its head inclines forward or backward. This deformation
causes a misalignment of the character and no longer allows a
uniform impression of its surface.
3. Twist of the type-bars is caused by mistakes of the typist. In
depressing, by error, two neighboring keys, two corresponding bars
are moved towards the type-bar guide 1, each bar undergoes the
lateral strike of the other and bends along its longitudinal axis. One
error in manipulation does not great damage but its repetition
certainly develops the defect. The type-bar thus bent no long offers a
perfectly vertical surface to the axis of the platen and the character
strikes the paper more or less off its feet.
*Defects of the Ring - On a worn type writer it is not exceptional to
find that the more active type-bars have depressed the metal of the
ring at their point of contact. It no longer has any effect on the type-
bars corresponding to the depression, it no longer stops them in their
travel and it does not send them back to their original position.

*These bars strike directly at the platen, stoop their momentarily and
fall back by their own weight giving by this very slow motion a
vibration to the character in the vicinity of the pla- ten. At this time
the escapement has already moved and the character gives two
impressions instead of one. The second impression, displaced in
connection with the first and much paler seems to be its shadow. The
name given to it is 'veiled stroke’.
*Disorder of the Type bar guide - If the position of the type bar
guide is modified for some reason, the result is a complete disorder
of the writing. A guide moved to the right will raise all signs on the
right of the keyboard and will lower all the signs on the left. If it is
moved to the left, it will cause the opposite effect.

*Alteration of the Platen - The rubber of the platen gets old and
hardens, the surface formally smooth becomes more and more
irregular and rough and does not offer a7nymore intimate contact
with all surface of the sign. The writing becomes inconsistent and
the same sign will print itself partially or entirely and with a
greater intensity and more intensively on the tight or the left, on
the bottom or the top
* General Wear of a Typewriter - The typebars are subjected to a lateral
play particularly felt at the top. This gives poor accuracy at the point of
impact of the character. The same signs print themselves on the right or
on the left of their theoretical point of impact.
* Typeface Misalignments – synonymous to “alignment defects:
1. Vertical Misalignment - A character printing above or below its proper
position. Possible causes are:
a) a character soldered too high or too low on the typebar;
b) an unsoldered character;
c) a typebar having lost its correct curvature;
d) a type bar having an oval of axis bearing;
e) misalignment of the typebar guide to the right or to the left; and
f) disorder of the capital letter shift lock.
2. Lateral or Horizontal Misalignment - An alignment defect in which the
character prints the right or left of its proper position is known as
horizontal alignment.
3. Oblique Misalignment – The character leans towards the right or
towards the left.
 K. Typewriting Standards Or Exemplars

1. Typewriting Standards Or Exemplars – the procurement of

typewriting exemplars are grouped as follows:
A. Study of the questioned document by the investigator;
B. Procurement of the regular course of business typewriting;
C. Preparation of exemplar typewriting by the suspected writer;
D. Preparation of typewriting exemplar by the investigator on
suspected typewriter; and
E. The procurement of the suspected typewriter itself by the
investigator.
2. Obtaining Known Typewritten Exemplars - Properly prepared
known typewriting samples not only facilitate the examination in
the laboratory but they aid immeasurably in the demonstration in
the court room.
3. How to obtain exemplars of typewriting?
A. If the typewriter ribbon is obviously new, remove it from
the typewriter and send it to the laboratory with the
typewriting exemplars prepared from another ribbon.(the
text of the material in question may still be discernible of
the ribbon)
B. Use paper of about of about the same size as the questioned
material, type out a full word for word copy of the message
in question, typographical errors, using as nearly as possible
the same degree of touch as that used in typing the
questioned material.
C. After placing the typewriter in a stencil position or
removing the cloth ribbon, obtain samples of each
character on the keyboard by typing through carbon paper
which has been inserted carbon side down over a piece of
white bond paper.
D. Make certain that each specimen contain the make, model and
serial number of the typewriter from which it was produced as
well as the date and initials of the officer.

E. Typewriter specimens should be taken from suspected

typewriter/s. It isusually not necessary to forward the typewriter
to the laboratory if complete known exemplars are obtained.

F. If possible, after a typewritten exemplar is obtained from a

suspected typewriter,the investigation should insure that the
typewriter is kept in its current condition.

G. With evidence thus obtained from typewritten documents, the

laboratory experts is in position to lend valuable assistance to
the solution and subsequent prosecution of many cases.