Frixion ink decolourised and largely dispersed by the pen-end
eraser was also detectable as a faint, dark trace under ultraviolet
light.
That portion of the ink left in the ink-line by themore thorough
erasing and dispersing of the bulk of the ink was restored to
visibility, faintly, by approximately 1 h at −23 °C (Fig. 5).
4. Conclusion
The rebranding of Replay pens as Eraser.max and, more
importantly, the introduction into the UK of the Frixion erasable
rollerball pen increase the likelihood of erased or decolourised
writing in ink featuring in criminal activity. This short paper
alerts the forensic science community to the existence of the
erasable rollerball pen and describes some of the properties of
its ink. The indentation of the ink-line; the strong luminescence
displayed by traces of the ink; the appearance of the
decolourised ink-line by specular reflection; its dark appearance
under ultraviolet light; the restoration of colour by cooling; all
provide avenues by which the forensic document examiner may
detect the erasure and determine what has been erased.
Acknowledgement
The author acknowledges with gratitude the support and
encouragement of his colleagues in the Questioned Documents
Section of Forensic Science Services Ltd.