Christopher Columbus signature
This specimen uses stacked symbolic letters above the lower Xpo FERENS line.
What does Christopher Columbus’s signature look like?
This specimen uses stacked symbolic letters above the lower Xpo FERENS line. Dots separate several upper marks, while the lower row is more widely spread and ends with a tall curling stroke. Compare the upper tiers with the lower name-like band: the historical mark has a multi-level construction rather than an ordinary modern first-name and surname line.
- Slant
- +10°forward
- Baseline
- −2.1°falling
- Width / height
- 1.68 : 1overall proportions
- Opening height
- 1.09×opening versus body letters
About Christopher Columbus and this autograph
Christopher Columbus (1451 – 1506) was an Italian navigator, explorer, and colonist. This specimen is the Wikimedia Commons vector rendering of Christopher Columbus’s signature.
Christopher Columbus signature and handwriting analysis
Christopher Columbus’s signature sample has 10° of forward slant, a falling baseline and 3 enclosed loops. Comparing autograph strokes, baseline angle (−2.1°), slant (+10°), opening ratio (1.09×) and enclosed loops (3) reveals how individual signature traits contrast with standard handwriting features. Use the layers to follow the writing line, letter band, slant and enclosed loops.
- Slantforward
- +10°
- Baselinefalling
- −2.1°
- Width / heightoverall proportions
- 1.68 : 1
- Opening heightopening versus body letters
- 1.09×
- Enclosed loopsclosed spaces in the image
- 3
- Ink groupsmain disconnected groups
- 16
- Ink densityinside the signature bounds
- 13.7%
- Underlineno long lower flourish
- None
- Finish heightrelative to the letter body
- +0.49×
Opening, letter body and finish
The opening stays near the height of the body letters. The opening-to-body ratio is 1.09×, while the whole image is 1.68 times as wide as it is tall. The rightmost ink finishes above the writing line; look at this ending separately from the slant of the letters themselves.
Loops and the lower flourish
The sample contains 3 enclosed loops and 16 main ink groups. The letterforms carry the main horizontal movement; there is no long lower underline detected beneath their band.
All 11 measured signature features
Slant
+10°Angle of the letter strokes from vertical. Positive angles lean right; negative angles lean left.
The signature has a forward slant (+10°). The blue-green guides show the lean of strokes across the name.
Baseline
−2.1°Direction of the writing line from the beginning to the end of the signature.
The writing line falls (−2.1°). The red guide follows the base of the letters, separate from lower loops and flourishes.
Opening capital
1.1×Height of the opening letter relative to the typical letters that follow. 1× means similar heights.
The opening stands 1.1 times as high as the following letters. The purple box marks its area; the dashed blue guide marks the letter-body band.
Enclosed loops
3Closed spaces surrounded by ink, counted across the whole signature.
There are 3 enclosed loops in the sample. Orange outlines locate them. Compare their size and placement within the name.
Ink groups
16Separate connected areas of ink in the image. Dots or detached letters can form additional groups.
The signature contains 16 main ink groups. The visible ink is divided into separate shapes. Look at where those shapes join or separate.
Ink density
14%Share of the signature’s enclosing rectangle occupied by ink.
Ink covers 14% of the measured signature area; the rest is open space. Compare the open areas with the thickness of the visible strokes.
Underline / flourish
NoneLength of a lower underline or flourish compared with the full signature width.
No long lower underline is detected. The name is carried by the letterforms and their own lower strokes.
Finish height
+0.5×Height of the rightmost ending above or below the baseline, in typical letter heights. Positive is above; negative is below.
The ending sits close to the writing line (+0.5 letter heights). The orange guide locates the finish relative to the red baseline.
Width / height
1.7 : 1Full ink width divided by full ink height, including the signature’s tall and low strokes.
The shape is 1.7 times as wide as it is high. Its ink spans 504 × 300 image pixels. Compare the horizontal spread with the vertical reach of the capitals and loops.
Ornamentation
4.2×Total traced stroke length divided by signature width. More turns and retraced shapes add length.
The traced strokes total 2,128 pixels, about 4.2 times the signature’s width. Look for loops, turns and flourishes that add movement within that width.
Angularity
7.5Number of corners per 100 pixels of traced ink outline. Higher values indicate more frequent sharp turns.
The outline contains about 7.5 corners per 100 pixels. Inspect the turns in the pen-path layer and compare pointed changes of direction with rounded curves.
Signatures with similar shapes
Compare these samples’ slant, proportions and letter rhythm with Christopher Columbus’s autograph.
