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Paper-trails have long been a mainstay of bringing about a conviction, but there are other methods a document examiner has at their disposal. Detailed analysis of handwriting, for example; or inspecting the physical properties and analysing the chemical properties of a particular ink or paper.
Sometimes, proving that a suspect has erased a part of a document can expose and establish a line of enquiry. A powder - known as Lycopodium - can be dusted across a document to reveal the presence of rubber from an eraser.
Burnt documents don’t always get rid of the evidence either – investigators spray the scorched paper with a dissolved vinyl solution to stiffen and protect the charred remains. The papers can then be photographed and analysed back at the lab.
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