| When crime scene investigators (CSI's) come across | | | | different types and amounts of each of these |
| say a ransom note, one of the important things they | | | | chemical additives. It is up to chemical testing in the |
| must do is analyze the paper that the writing was | | | | crime lab to discern the difference between one |
| written on. | | | | paper type and manufacturer from another. |
| In this article, I will attempt to explain what forensic | | | | A watermark is another distinctive quality that can be |
| document analysts look for when they analyze the | | | | found in paper. A watermark is a translucent design |
| characteristics of paper. | | | | found in paper that you can view by holding the |
| Wood and cotton are the most common ingredients | | | | paper in front of a light source. The watermark tells |
| that make up many of today's paper. Many times, | | | | the criminal scientist the manufacturer, the date of |
| paper is treated with chemical additives that affect | | | | manufacture, and, many times, for whom the paper |
| its color, opacity, strength, durability, and brightness. | | | | was manufactured. Any attempts to forge a |
| The additives introduced to paper are as follows: | | | | watermark can easily be detected. This is due to the |
| - Sizings--Sizings makes the surface of paper less | | | | fact that real watermarks have fewer fibers than |
| porous to ink. This allows handwriting or printing look | | | | the rest of the paper. Forged watermarks, on the |
| sharp and clear. | | | | other hand, are really added-on images. Therefore, |
| - Fillers--Fillers add color, surface texture, and | | | | their underlying fiber density will be consistent with |
| durability. | | | | that of the rest of the document. |
| - Coatings--Coatings help to improve the look and the | | | | The next time you watch your favorite forensic |
| surface properties of paper. Coatings may even | | | | science/detective dramas like CSI, you will have a |
| make paper suitable for use in copiers, printers, or | | | | clearer understanding of what forensic document |
| for normal handwriting. | | | | analysts look for when studying a document found at |
| Different manufacturers and paper types use | | | | the scene of a crime. |