Simulation

• Simulation is a type of forgery that involves the perpetrator's use of a model of the victim's handwriting. The forger carefully observes the original, then makes copies of the person's signature to practice mimicking it. According to handwriting expert Sheila Lowe, the forger pays attention to the way capital letters look, drawing rather than writing the signature. His mistake, however, is failing to notice such characteristics as the spaces between words and letters, and the upper and lower lengths and the alignment of the letters that makes an individual's handwriting unique.
  
  

Cut and Paste

• In using the cut and paste method, the forger photocopies the signature, then places it on the fake document. Prosecution relies on the law enforcement detective's ability to find the original document, and compare the suspect's handwriting on the false to that of the original. Since no two pieces of handwriting are identical, the forger leaves himself open to conviction by omitting a few minor details, such as the way his victim writes out her numbers.
  
  

Tracing

• The perpetrator, using the actual signature as a model, holds it against a window, places a piece of carbon paper over it, then puts another sheet over the top, then begins to trace the lines which make up the other person's handwriting. However, as Lowe points out, the forger prosecutes himself by making the stops and starts he makes to check his progress. Forgery experts call these "resting dots."
  
  

Electronic Forgery

• The computer presents the forger with a potent weapon. He uses the "scan and drop" method to digitize the signature by scanning it at high resolution. He then inserts it into the document he intends to use. However, according to Lowe, when a detective closely examines the document, he can see evidence of pixelation, indicating the presence of digitization.
  
  

Freehand

• Freehand style forgery occurs when the forger makes no effort whatsoever to copy the other person's signature. He simply signs a form in his own handwriting, sometimes choosing wording or phrasing of his own. If the original signer uses a squiggly-line type signature, the forger will simply attempt to imitate the squiggly line. According to Lowe, this is the easiest type of signature for a forger to attempt. It will decrease his chances of prosecution, since it is more difficult for detectives to read the two handwriting samples in order to make a positive comparison.