Detecting background line as preprocessing for offline signature verification

Abstract

Hand-written signature is commonly used for authenticating a person. Extraction of desired features from the captured signature image is crucial for automated signature verification. Presence of a background line (which may be a part of a paper form) is common in an offline signature. Removal of this kind of background line is necessary for correct extraction of features. But sometimes, a signature contains a line as part of it. This paper shows how intensity distributions can distinguish a background line from a line which is part of a signature.