The forensic analysis of ink is a frequent requirement in casework in order to identify whether the inks on a document or documents are same or different. Hence, the document examiners are often called upon to identify the ink involved and to determine the actual source of the ink on a document.

How are inks compared forensics?

One nondestructive method of ink comparison is called microspectrophotometry. This process enables the examiner to accurately determine whether the colors of the two inks match by comparing their light transmission, absorption, and reflection characteristics.

Can ink be dated?

Two main approaches can be used for determining the age of an ink: indirect dating and direct dating. Indirect dating is based on the chemical analysis of an ink followed by comparison with known samples in a reference collection.