Font Forensics and the "Scarpetta Factor"

6 Jan 2010 — 9:42am

LOL! I was just doing some post-Christmas-present book reading when I saw this passage in Patricia Cornwell's latest book The Scarpetta Factor:

"...you should pay attention to fonts, like I've told you how many times? Fonts are part of the twenty-first-century documents examination, and you ignore them at your own peril. What they are and why someone might pick them for a specific communication can be telling and significant."

Maybe I can get a job with CSI as a font forensic examiner :)

Bert Vanderveen
6 Jan 2010 — 10:08am

Talk to Thomas Phinney — he has experience in the field.

. . .
Bert Vanderveen BNO

Si_Daniels
6 Jan 2010 — 10:21am

Ehague
6 Jan 2010 — 10:47am

Like Graphology but for fonts? I think it's more tenable an idea, since people choose fonts, where they don't really choose their handwriting.

Si_Daniels
6 Jan 2010 — 10:55am

>since people choose fonts

Like this guy... http://typophile.com/node/46383

dezcom
6 Jan 2010 — 10:59am

Hi, Norbert!!!
I even had a headhunter from a law firm contact me about being an expert witness.

ChrisL

Norbert Florendo
6 Jan 2010 — 11:46am

Geez... I'd rather be on the Font Police Squad busting type crimes on the spot than post mortem examination.

Though I find "font forensics" during pre-digital era more viable and intriguing since setting type was less accessible to the masses and sources more identifiable.

The font in question in The Scarpetta Factor was Gotham -- just think of how many knock-offs and pirated copies are out now since the Obama presidential campaign.

Norbert Florendo
6 Jan 2010 — 12:15pm