Vasco da Gama signature
The selected historical mark uses a connected title-form band rather than a modern full-name line.
What does Vasco da Gama’s signature look like?
The selected historical mark uses a connected title-form band rather than a modern full-name line. Taller strokes and a small upper curl interrupt its middle, above a long underline and crossed descenders at the right. Compare the upper additions with the lower returns: the writing has several distinct levels around a comparatively narrow central group.
- Slant
- +10°forward
- Baseline
- −7.9°falling
- Width / height
- 2.39 : 1overall proportions
- Opening height
- 0.95×opening versus body letters
About Vasco da Gama and this autograph
Vasco da Gama (c. 1460 or 1469 – 1524) was a Portuguese explorer. The specimen was traced from volume two of Narrative and Critical History of America, first published in 1886.
Vasco da Gama signature and handwriting analysis
Vasco da Gama’s signature sample has 10° of forward slant, a falling baseline and 5 enclosed loops. Comparing autograph strokes, baseline angle (−7.9°), slant (+10°), opening ratio (0.95×) and enclosed loops (5) 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
- −7.9°
- Width / heightoverall proportions
- 2.39 : 1
- Opening heightopening versus body letters
- 0.95×
- Enclosed loopsclosed spaces in the image
- 5
- Ink groupsmain disconnected groups
- 8
- Ink densityinside the signature bounds
- 7.5%
- Underlinelower flourish
- 85% of width
- Finish heightrelative to the letter body
- +0.01×
Opening, letter body and finish
The opening stays near the height of the body letters. The opening-to-body ratio is 0.95×, while the whole image is 2.39 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 5 enclosed loops and 8 main ink groups. The lower flourish spans about 85% of the full ink width, giving the name another line to follow beneath its letters.
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
−7.9°Direction of the writing line from the beginning to the end of the signature.
The writing line falls (−7.9°). The red guide follows the base of the letters, separate from lower loops and flourishes.
Opening capital
0.9×Height of the opening letter relative to the typical letters that follow. 1× means similar heights.
The opening stands 0.9 times as high as the following letters. The purple box marks its area; the dashed blue guide marks the letter-body band.
Enclosed loops
5Closed spaces surrounded by ink, counted across the whole signature.
There are 5 enclosed loops in the sample. Orange outlines locate them. Compare their size and placement within the name.
Ink groups
8Separate connected areas of ink in the image. Dots or detached letters can form additional groups.
The signature contains 8 main ink groups. The visible ink is divided into separate shapes. Look at where those shapes join or separate.
Ink density
8%Share of the signature’s enclosing rectangle occupied by ink.
Ink covers 8% of the measured signature area; the rest is open space. Compare the open areas with the thickness of the visible strokes.
Underline / flourish
85% wideLength of a lower underline or flourish compared with the full signature width.
A lower underline or flourish spans about 85% of the name’s width. Its highlighted area shows how much emphasis sits beneath the letters.
Finish height
+0.0×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 (+0.0 letter heights). The orange guide locates the finish relative to the red baseline.
Width / height
2.4 : 1Full ink width divided by full ink height, including the signature’s tall and low strokes.
The shape is 2.4 times as wide as it is high. Its ink spans 716 × 299 image pixels. Compare the horizontal spread with the vertical reach of the capitals and loops.
Ornamentation
5.1×Total traced stroke length divided by signature width. More turns and retraced shapes add length.
The traced strokes total 3,676 pixels, about 5.1 times the signature’s width. Look for loops, turns and flourishes that add movement within that width.
Angularity
4.7Number of corners per 100 pixels of traced ink outline. Higher values indicate more frequent sharp turns.
The outline contains about 4.7 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 Vasco da Gama’s autograph.
