Addition (Interlineation, Insertion)
Definition
Fresh writing squeezed between lines, in margins, after the last entry, or in blank spaces left in the original document. Often shows different ink, pen, slant, pressure, baseline or spacing.
- Locations
- Between lines, margins, after last entry, blank spaces
- Detection cues
- Ink, pen, slant, pressure, baseline, spacing differences
- Field
- Questioned document examination
- Category
- Alteration, alongside erasure and obliteration
Common questions
What physical evidence distinguishes a genuine addition from a fraudulent one?+
Examiners look for inconsistencies such as a different ink formulation under infrared or chemical testing, mismatched pen pressure or slant compared to surrounding text, and writing crammed into a space too small for it, all of which suggest a separate writing event.
Can an addition be genuine even if it looks different from the surrounding text?+
Yes, a person may have used a different pen simply because the original ran out or time had passed between entries, so a difference alone is not proof of fraud; the examiner weighs it alongside document history and other physical evidence.
Related terms
- Alteration
- Any change made to a document after its original execution, including erasure, obliteration, addition, substitution and overwriting. A material alteration changes the...
- Erasure (Chemical)
- Removal of ink by bleaching or oxidising agents such as sodium hypochlorite, chloramine T, oxalic acid, potassium permanganate or hydrogen peroxide. Leaves...
- Erasure (Mechanical)
- Physical removal of writing by rubber, knife, scalpel blade, sandpaper or eraser. Disturbs paper fibres, thins the paper, and lifts the sizing...
- ESDA
- Electrostatic Detection Apparatus; detects latent indentations in paper by charging the surface and cascading toner particles, revealing tracing stylus pressure and writing...
- IR Luminescence
- Emission of near-infrared radiation by ink dye molecules when excited by visible light; different ink formulations luminesce at different intensities, allowing differentiation...
- Obliteration
- Covering of existing writing with an opaque layer (ink, correction fluid, or correction tape) so that the underlying text is invisible in...
- Overwriting
- Tracing over an original stroke with a fresh stroke, usually to change a digit or letter. Detected by stroke thickness, hesitation, and...
- VSC-8000
- Video Spectral Comparator by Foster + Freeman, the standard QD instrument in CFSL and GEQD labs, with broadband visible, UV (254, 365...