GRAPHOLOGY
LAB

Browse Graphology Lab

Browse the topics below or search by feature, letter or name.

HANDWRITING & GRAPHOLOGY

Handwriting features in graphology

A handwriting reading compares size, slant, pressure, spacing, margins, baseline, zones, connections and stroke shape. Start with a visible feature, then compare it across the page.

Choose a feature

Size

Compare lowercase body height with enlarged capitals and upper or lower extensions..

Slant

Separate right, upright and left stems from the direction of the writing line..

Pressure

Distinguish pen force on paper from visible stroke thickness and darkness..

Spacing

Inspect the spaces inside words, between words and between lines..

Margins and page layout

Compare paper edges, line starts and the shape of the writing block..

Baseline

Follow rising, level, falling and locally uneven writing lines..

Upper, middle and lower zones

Compare upper stems, middle bodies and lower descenders..

Connections

Inspect joined, separated and mixed letter pairs..

Angular and rounded letter shapes

Compare rounded arches, pointed turns and mixed outlines..

Speed and rhythm

Record a timed sample and compare stroke simplification and rhythm..

Legibility

Identify letters and word gaps that help another reader transcribe the sample..

Print and cursive handwriting analysis

Compare printed, joined and mixed forms within ordinary handwriting..

Upper and lower loops

Inspect the position, width, height and closure of returning strokes..

Read from the page to the stroke

  • Page: writing block, margins and line spacing.
  • Line: baseline direction, local waviness and word gaps.
  • Word: body height, slant and letter connections.
  • Letter: ovals, loops, crossbars and finishing strokes.

A large initial, long descender or broad flourish can dominate the silhouette. Return to the ordinary lowercase bodies to establish the main rhythm.

Measurements and descriptions

Angles describe slant and baseline. Pixels describe image height and stroke width. Ratios compare gaps, capitals and extensions with body letters. A known image width converts image distances to millimetres. Pressure and elapsed writing time require information beyond a still photograph.

Keep the visible description beside the traditional reading so that each interpretation can be traced back to its feature.