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Seeing Beyond the Ink

  • Writer: Elisabeth Briggs
    Elisabeth Briggs
  • Oct 2
  • 2 min read

We are delighted to share that the September 2025 issue of the Greater Birmingham Chamber of Commerce's Chamberlink magazine includes an article highlighting key elements of our work at QDE.


While the full magazine is packed with essential business insights and local success stories, we are particularly proud of the feature on page 50: "Seeing Beyond the Ink: Tools for Verifying Documents."


The article highlights that Forensic Document Examination goes far beyond simply comparing handwriting or authenticating a signature on a will. Our work is not graphology - the pseudo-science of assessing personality - but a structured comparison of writing features based on established forensic principles.


Crucially, we also look at the document itself to determine the difficult questions of when and how a document, or part of a document, was created or whether it has be

en altered.


The article outlines two crucial, non-destructive tools that allow us to see beyond the visible surface:


  1. Video Spectral Comparator (VSC): The VSC is a specialised imaging system that displays a document under ultraviolet, infrared, and transmitted light. Different inks and papers have unique reactions, enabling it to detect if text was added with another pen or to highlight subtle surface damage from erasures and abrasions. This is particularly useful when examining a contested invoice or a hastily inserted clause in a contract.


    Image showing y added to the word Eight to create a new amount
    Original amount of Eight Pounds was changed using a different ink to read Eighty Pounds.

  2. Electrostatic Detection Apparatus (ESDA): The ESDA uncovers hidden writing impressions. It can recover words that are invisible to the naked eye, which were indented onto the paper from writing on an upper sheet. ESDA can reveal document alterations, uncover erased entries, or display impressions of a name and address left by a previous page.


These complementary tools offer objective visual evidence that is appropriate for clients, judges and juries.


The key takeaway from the article is the importance of awareness. If a document seems "not quite right," it is crucial to stop the paper trail, safeguard the original document from further handling and consult an expert. Early intervention is generally more cost-effective than reactive litigation.


The full feature and the rest of the September 2025 edition of Chamberlink is available here:

 
 
 

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