Bloodstain pattern analysis (BPA) is widely used in forensic reconstruction to understand events surrounding violent incidents. Accurate interpretation relies heavily on recognising how blood behaves once deposited, including the processes of spreading, absorption, and evaporation. Although several studies have examined drying dynamics on smooth, nonporous surfaces, the behaviour of blood on woven textiles remains significantly underexplored despite being one of the most common substrates encountered in casework. (O Peschel, 2011) (Tom Bevel, 2008)

Existing literature shows that blood undergoes a predictable series of physical transitions during drying, beginning with coagulation and progressing through rim formation, gelation, and central desiccation. (Laan, 2016) These stages are largely reproducible under controlled laboratory conditions, but the timing and morphology depend heavily on substrate properties and environmental conditions. Studies of blood pools and droplets on rigid hydrophilic and hydrophobic surfaces have demonstrated clear relationships between substrate wettability, evaporation dynamics, and fracture patterns. (Iqbal, 2020) However, findings from non-porous surfaces do not fully translate to textiles, where capillary flow, fibre morphology, and fabric permeability alter the way blood spreads, absorbs, and dries.

Research on woven fabrics indicates that stain shape is influenced by capillary transport within yarns and the interaction between the droplet and the fibre network (Agrawal, 2017). Absorbent fabrics such as cotton tend to pull blood into the substrate, allowing imbibition to dominate stain formation. In contrast, non-absorbent or low-absorbent materials produce surface-dominated pools with limited penetration. (H.F. Miles, 2014) This distinction can distort directional angles, change stain boundaries, and obscure essential features required for reconstruction. Yet, the majority of published textile-focused BPA research is limited to unidirectional drip stains and does not systematically compare fabric behaviours across environmental temperatures. (Jiaying Wu M.S., 2018)

Temperature is another factor with significant forensic implications. Prior work shows that elevated temperatures accelerate drying rates, while cooler environments prolong moisture retention and slow morphological transitions. (van Oorschot, 2014) Temperature also influences DNA persistence and transferability, reinforcing the need to understand drying dynamics in realistic ranges. However, very few studies evaluate temperature effects specifically on fabric-borne droplets, where the combination of substrate and thermal environment may produce unique morphological outcomes.

This gap poses a practical challenge for forensic analysts: the morphology and drying stage of a bloodstain on clothing may hold valuable temporal information, but without robust reference patterns, interpretation remains uncertain. As a result, there is a need for empirical data that link fabric characteristics, droplet volume, and environmental conditions to measurable changes in drying behaviour and stain appearance.

The present study contributes to this area by examining how three blood volumes dry on four commonly encountered textile substrates: cotton, silk, polyester, and nylon under controlled room-temperature, warm (oven), and cold (refrigerated) environments. By integrating fabric behaviour, temperature variation, and controlled droplet volumes, this study contributes new data to an area of BPA that remains under-represented in the literature. Its findings aim to support forensic examiners by improving expectations of how stains form, evolve, and appear on different textiles. Ultimately, the study provides experimentally grounded insight that may help refine crime-scene interpretation when bloodstains on clothing are involved.