This guide provides procedures that should be used by forensic document examiners (see Guide ) for non-destructive examinations of paper.

Formerly under the jurisdiction of Committee E30 on Forensic Sciences, this guide was withdrawn in January 2014 in accordance with section 10.6.3 of the Regulations Governing ASTM Technical Committees, which requires that standards shall be updated by the end of the eighth year since the last approval date.

The procedures outlined here are grounded in the generally accepted body of knowledge and experience in the field of forensic document examination. By following these procedures, a forensic document examiner can reliably evaluate the physical similarities or differences between papers that can lead to a determination as to whether papers originated from the same source.

1.1 This guide provides procedures that should be used by forensic document examiners (see Guide E444) for non-destructive examinations of paper.

1.2 These procedures are applicable whether the examination is of questioned and known items or of exclusively questioned items.

1.3 These procedures include evaluation of the sufficiency of the material available for examination.

1.4 The particular methods employed in a given case will depend upon the nature of the material available for examination.

1.5 This guide may not cover all aspects of particularly unusual or uncommon examinations of paper samples.

1.6 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.