What are exemplars in handwriting analysis?

In handwriting analysis, exemplars refer specifically to standards of known handwriting that are used for comparison purposes. These are samples that an expert collects from a known source, such as the suspected writer, which are then compared to questioned documents to determine authenticity or authorship.

The purpose of using known exemplars is to establish a baseline against which the unknown handwriting can be evaluated. This comparison can help reveal similarities or differences in writing style, letterforms, slant, spacing, and other characteristics that can aid in making a determination about the origin of a questioned document.

While random samples of documents might be collected in an investigation, they do not serve the specific purpose of establishing a known standard for comparison. Printed text samples do not typically provide the nuanced handwriting features that are necessary for analysis in forensic contexts. False signatures, while they can be studied, do not represent genuine, known handwriting needed for effective comparison in a forensic investigation. Thus, the identification of exemplars as known standards for comparison is central to the practice of handwriting analysis.