Objective To establish a non-destructive, efficient and direct method for visualizing the handwriting covered and smeared by black gel pen inks. Methods 306 smeared and covered handwriting samples prepared with 18 kinds of black gel pen were analyzed by using Nuance420 Spectral Imaging with the technique of transmission spectral imaging, compared with reflective spectral imaging. The results were divided into two types: visual and non-visual. The standard of classification was whether common people who had ...