ASTM E2494
Definition
ASTM International's Standard Guide for Using Ink Examination Methods in Questioned Document Investigations; sets out the recommended tiered analytical approach, uncertainty reporting requirements, and conclusion-framing standards for ink dating evidence.
- Full title
- Using ink examination methods in questioned document investigations
- Approach
- Tiered analytical approach
- Requires
- Uncertainty reporting, conclusion-framing standards
- Field
- Ink dating evidence
Common questions
What does a 'tiered' analytical approach mean under E2494?+
It means starting with less destructive, faster screening methods and escalating to more detailed chromatographic techniques only as needed to answer the specific question posed, rather than always running the full battery of tests regardless of what the case requires.
Why does E2494 require explicit uncertainty reporting for ink dating conclusions?+
Ink-dating methods rely on measuring volatile solvent decay, which varies with storage conditions and ink formulation, so conclusions carry inherent variability; E2494 requires that uncertainty be stated rather than presenting a dating estimate as a precise, unqualified fact.
Related terms
- Aging Index (Aginsky)
- The ratio of phenoxyethanol concentration in an unheated (cold) extract to its concentration in a heated extract from the same ink stroke;...
- Dye-Decay Dating (LaPorte Method)
- An ink dating method that uses HPLC-PDA to monitor the relative concentrations of specific dye components and their degradation products; the ratio...
- Machine Direction (MD)
- The direction parallel to paper travel through the papermaking machine; cellulose fibres preferentially align in this direction, making machine-made paper stronger and...
- Optical Brightening Agent (OBA)
- A fluorescent compound added to paper pulp or coatings that absorbs UV-A radiation and re-emits it as visible blue light, making paper...
- Plateau Effect
- The upper age limit of ink solvent-loss methods (approximately 5-7 years in most storage conditions), beyond which phenoxyethanol has been substantially lost...
- Rag Paper
- Paper made from cotton or linen rags, yielding long, low-lignin cellulose fibres; the dominant writing-paper substrate before approximately 1870 and still used...
- Solvent-Loss Method
- An ink dating approach that measures the residual concentration of semi-volatile solvents (particularly phenoxyethanol in ballpoint inks) relative to a non-volatile reference;...
- Terminus Post Quem
- Latin for 'limit after which'; in document dating, the earliest possible date for a document, established when a material component (paper, ink,...
- Watermark
- A pattern formed in paper during manufacture by localised fibre-density variation on the Fourdrinier wire; visible in transmitted light as a lighter...