"conaught" also has some good ideas about deciphering letters. One trick I've used is to project the image onto the piece of paper, then trace the letters you can't read -- and the whole word. Then go and trace some letters you *can* read (all 26 if you have to, lower-case and capital). Later you can compare the known and the unknown and at least limit the number of possibilities. Another hazard is the odd use of abbreviations. Good luck with this one! -- === Richard A. Danca, Newton, Mass. mailto:rdanca@ix.netcom.com =====