Interlineation
Definition
Text inserted between existing lines of a document after its original execution; may be detected by ink composition differences, spatial anomalies in line spacing, or stroke-sequence examination at crossings.
- Field
- Questioned document examination
- Definition
- Text inserted between existing lines after original execution
- Detection methods
- Ink composition, spatial anomalies, stroke sequence
- Related terms
- Erasure, obliteration
Common questions
How does stroke-sequence examination at crossings reveal interlineation?+
Under magnification, examiners can see whether an inserted stroke lies on top of or beneath a pre-existing line at the point where they cross, since the pen deposits ink over whichever mark was already present, revealing the order in which the two entries were made.
Why does spacing anomaly alone not confirm interlineation?+
Cramped or uneven line spacing can occur naturally when the original writer runs out of room or writes in haste, so examiners corroborate spacing irregularities with ink or stroke-sequence evidence before concluding text was added after the fact.
Related terms
- Chemical Erasure
- Destruction of an ink's chromophore by oxidising or reducing agents (bleach, permanganate, borohydride) without physically removing paper fibres, leaving altered UV fluorescence...
- Chromophore
- The molecular subunit responsible for a dye's colour, typically a conjugated double-bond system; chemical erasure destroys the chromophore while leaving the decolourised...
- Mechanical Erasure
- Physical removal of ink by abrasion (eraser) or shearing (blade), leaving disrupted paper fibres, altered surface texture, and residual ink in fibre...
- Nine-Point Opinion Scale
- The standard framework used by the ASQDE and most international document-examination organisations for expressing conclusions, ranging from identification through elimination with intermediate...
- Obliteration
- Covering of existing writing with an opaque layer (ink, correction fluid, or correction tape) so that the underlying text is invisible in...
- Page Substitution
- Replacement of one or more pages in a multi-page document with forgeries, detectable through paper batch inconsistencies (UV fluorescence, watermark), printing differences,...
- Sizing
- Chemicals applied to paper during manufacture to control ink absorption and surface hardness; mechanical erasure removes sizing from the affected area, allowing...
- SWGDOC
- The Scientific Working Group for Forensic Document Examination (US), which publishes standards for typewriter examination, handwriting comparison, ink analysis, and related forensic...
- Titanium Dioxide (TiO2)
- The white pigment in most correction fluids worldwide; opaque in visible light but largely transparent above ~800 nm near-IR, making IR transmission...