Spray paint writings on walls: Is conventional reference material adequate for comparison?

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Ressource 1Download: Cadola & al. (2018) Spray paint writing on wall (in press).pdf (704.55 [Ko])
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Version: author
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Serval ID
serval:BIB_3DD8D9901C01
Type
Article: article from journal or magazin.
Collection
Publications
Institution
Title
Spray paint writings on walls: Is conventional reference material adequate for comparison?
Journal
Journal of the American Society of Questioned Document Examiners
Author(s)
Cadola Liv, Cuany Sandrine, Weyermann Céline, Marquis Raymond
ISSN-L
1524-7287
Publication state
Published
Issued date
2018
Peer-reviewed
Oui
Volume
21
Number
2
Pages
3-11
Language
english
Abstract
Forensic document experts may be asked to examine questioned items written with spray paint on vertical surfaces. In such cases, they may not dispose of reference material written under similar conditions. A critical question follows: is conventional reference material (e.g. executed with a ballpoint pen on a paper placed horizontally) suitable for comparison? In order to investigate the influence of this particular writing condition, samples written with spray paint on vertical surfaces were compared to samples written on paper by a same writer. This comparison was carried out on the writings of 27 volunteers. The results have shown that the amount of similarities between both writing conditions was strongly dependent on the writer. Overall, while some similarities in style (script, cursive), shape and construction of letters were observed, several discordances in connections, slant, spacing, size and proportions were highlighted between both writing conditions. Therefore, the findings of this study stress out the need for reference material produced under similar conditions when examining questioned spray paint writings on vertical surfaces.
Keywords
Graffiti, tag, spray paint, writing on vertical surface, reference material, examination.
Create date
06/09/2018 14:57
Last modification date
20/08/2019 14:34
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