LEARNING MODULE IN PERSONAL IDENTIFICATION TECHNIQUES

MODULE 3
METHODS OF IMPRESSING

At the end of this Module 3, you should be able to:

a. identify the different methods of impressing;
b. demonstrate the methods in producing fingerprint impressions;
c. understand the benefits of post-mortem fingerprint; and
d. identify the general technique or ordinary impressing of fingerprinting;

LESSON 1
General Rules in Impressing
What are Real Impressions?

Impressions of the finger bulbs with the use of the fingerprint ink on the surface of the paper
through any coloring materials, which will produce visibility.

2 Methods of producing impressions:

Rolled Impressions
 Requires that the thumb be rolled away from the center of the subject’s body.

Plain Impressions
 Requires that the fingers be taken or printed simultaneously, then the thumbs without
rolling.

Methods of Recording Real Impressions

Slab and Roller Method

 placing ink on the slab and spreading it
Porelon Pad Method
 use inking pad
Print Matic Method
 the roller itself bears the ink then rolled over the slab

Rules to observe in taking legible F/Ps

 Cleanliness of equipment/washing of hands before fingerprinting

 The right kind and correct amount of ink
 Proper distribution of ink on the glass slab
 The subject’s hands must be relaxed
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 Proper distance of the subject from the glass slab/proper alignment

 Even pressure to be applied
 The fingers must be rolled from one side to the other
 The inking and printing must reach the first joint of the finger
 The thumb must be rolled towards the body and the other fingers away from the subject’s
body
 The subject’s fingers must be controlled to prevent twisting
 Speed of the rolling finger

 Check up after fingerprint printed - Check prints if appropriately printed or not in

accordance with the following guidelines:
a. If printing column are incorrect
b. Rolling condition, sufficient or not
c. Printing condition, thick or thin
d. Unevenness? Irregularity? Aberration?
e. No oversight, no mistake on note/remarks

 Cause of Mistake on Fingerprint Sampling – Noted common mistakes or failures of law

enforcement officers in taking fingerprint sampling are:
a. Aberration of printing of the fingerprint
b. Ink too much thick
c. Too fast rolling speed
d. Press to hard
e. Rotation is not smooth, as they roll the finger on the paper

Fingerprint System – is an arrangement, which in order to effectively utilize fingerprints in

criminal investigation, provides for their systematic collection, classification, arrangement,
custody and use.

Two Sub-systems:

Ten (10) Fingerprint System – include the ten (10) fingerprints in cards taken upon lawful
arrest. This is to confirm the identity and the criminal history of the arrested person.
Single Fingerprint System – fingerprints of suspect collected one by one. This is to deduce the
identity of the criminal through his latent fingerprints. Under this system, the prints of all the ten
(10) fingers are kept one by one in custody as basic material.

Methods and Effects on the Use of Single Fingerprint System

Positive deduction of suspect’s identity.

This is to deduce the identity of a suspect by comparing a latent fingerprint with the single
fingerprint card.

b) Designation Inquiry – This is an inquiry made, whenever a suspect has come to the fore with
respect to a case for which the scene finger prints have been forwarded from the police station to
the fingerprint center by designating the name with whom comparison is needed.
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c) Under-name Fingerprints – Fingerprints impressed under a signature on an application for

pawning or any other official document. Criminals often disguise themselves in transactions
involving documents but the fingerprints impressed on the document will reveal the true identity
of the person.

d) Identification of other crimes – Latent prints when matched to the fingerprints establishes
absolute identity.

Preparation and Custody of Fingerprint Materials

Since fingerprint materials are permanently kept in custody and utilized as the basic materials
of the fingerprint system, they should be correctly prepared and kept in custody:

1. Preparation of fingerprint materials

2. Fingerprint the suspect immediately upon arrest
3. Take palm prints too
4. Employ the rolled and plain impressions method
5. Impressions of Fingerprints – To make correct classifications possible, all impressions
must be made correctly and clearly

Methods of Impressing

Rolling Impressions
– Done by fully rolling the fingers from one side to the other

Flat or Plain Impressions

– Done in order to make sure whether or not rolling impressions are correctly impressed unto the
specified column. In impressing, it must be up to the middle phalange.

Palm print Impressing

– Is to impress palms unto the palm print impression column. Impress it fully with extended
palms.

Impressing Techniques
General Technique or Ordinary Impressing

Position of Impresser/Operator
– the impressing plate is on the left side of the table while the glass plate or cardholder is on its
right side.

Positions of Persons
– The Impressing attendant or operator is on the left side while subject is on the right side of the
operator and about 20 cm off/away from the impressing table
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General Rules in Impressing – cure of glass plates and roller from dust
a. Wash fingers thoroughly
b. Dry the fingers before impressing
c. Apply proper amount of ink
d. Don’t double impress
e. Don’t forget flay impressing
f. How to thin ink – Place small amount of ink, thin the ink evenly with a pallet and a roller,
the roller is rolled one way leaving the glass plate after every stroke, the ink can be
thinned quickly and evenly.
g. Density of Ink – the amount of ink needed for impression per person is the volume of a
match head.

Impressing
 Subject is advised to look to the front or side, without stiffening his hand.

Excessively sweating fingers

 Apply formalin alcohol liquid to each finger, then print;

Finger with stiff joints

 Impress after shaking the subject’s hand grasped by the wrist up and down several
times to smoothen the joint movement.

Fingers with stiff surface skin, coarse fingers, and fingers suffering from dermatophytosis – wrap
fingers in a steamed towel for several minutes then impress.

Problems encountered by fingerprint operator

1. Fingers have fresh cut, wound or bandaged
Remedy: note on the corresponding space on the card
If it is possible, examine the ridges directly.

2. When the hands are perspiring excessively

Remedy: wipe the fingers with cloth immediately before inking, or wipe with alcohol,

3. When fingers are very dry

Remedy: Rub the fingers with oil, cream or lotion

4. When the fingers are very fine like the ridges of the fingers of a baby
Remedy: Use little amount of ink

5. When one or more fingers are lacking or missing

Remedy: Record/note on the corresponding space on the fingerprint card

6. When the fingers are band, broken or crippled

Remedy: Use one of the methods in taking the print of the dead
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7. When the subject has more than ten fingers all are fully formed
Remedy: They should be printed on the other side of the card with a notation that they are extra
fingers.

8. Should extra finger appear anywhere between or any of the fingers

Remedy: Make a notation beside the fully formed and normal fingers

9. In case of split thumb having two nails or fingers are webbed and grown together making
it impossible to roll the fingers
Remedy: Print it in the usual manner just like any normal thumb and make a notation at the back
of the card.

Other Important details in Fingerprint.

 LEARNING MODULE IN PERSONAL IDENTIFICATION TECHNIQUES

https://www.evergreenhealth.com/hand-anatomy#:~:text=Distal%20Phalanges,just%20with%20the%20middle
%20phalanx.

REFERENCES

Delizo, D. B. G. (2015). Criminalistics textbook and review material 2nd edition. Baguio City:
Crimzone Enterprises
Kelly, J.S. and Lindblom, B.S. (2006). Scientific Examination of Questioned Document Second
Edition. CRC Press, Inc
Conway, J. P.V. (1978). Evidential Documents: Police Science Series. Springfield: Charles C
Thomas Publisher, LTD
 LEARNING MODULE IN PERSONAL IDENTIFICATION TECHNIQUES

MODULE 3
LESSON 1
SELF-LEARNING ACTIVITY

NAME: DATE: SCORE:

DIRECTION: Produce or imprint fingerprints from your relatives. And apply the 2 Kinds
of Fingerprint Impressions the Plain Impression and Rolled Impression.
Material: Papers and any material that can be found in your vicinity that can produce or
imprint fingerprints.

RIGHT FINGERS
F#1 F#2 F#3 F#4 F#5

LEFT FINGERS
F#6 F#7 F#8 F#9 F#10

LEFT FINGERS LEFT THUMB RIGHT THUMB RIGHT FINGERS

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LESSON 2
BENEFITS OF POST-MORTEM FINGERPRINT

Fingerprint Impressing Techniques on a dead body

 Problems and practices in fingerprinting the Dead

 Climate conditions
 Subject factors
 Nature of the surface

Fingers soon after death – those who died recently

Clean finger bulbs using a gauge containing alcohol; roll fingerprint roller with ink on fingers
and cut fingerprint card to a proper size and impress it on the fingers.

Stiff fingers in a cleansed fist – those who died for a longer period, in
which cases difficulty is experienced due to, pronounced stiffening of the fingers or already at
the stages of decomposition.
 Use spatula or finger stretcher to stretch fingers then impress with use of roller and ink
Blanched (grown pale) and wrinkled fingers.

Fingers without percolate (strained)– wipe them with a piece of cloth/gauge with alcohol,
soften them thoroughly with your fingertips, stretch wrinkles and then impress.
Fingers with percolate – use molding process after drying with lycopodium powder
In order to obtain fingerprint impressions from silicon molds, strippable paint or cortex shall be
used.

This technique is as follows:

 The molded silicon rubber shall be stretched and split

 Its circumference shall be pinned up
 Strippable paint or cortex shall be thinly applied to it with a small flat brush and then be
dried with a dryer
 After repeating this operation several times, the mold shall be stripped of the film, which
shall be round, the operator’s finger be applied with ink and then be impressed.

Fingers with Peeled-Off Surface Skin

When the true skin is exposed, take photograph after applying ink to the true skin.

 When the true skin is exposed, take photograph after applying ink to the true skin.
Fingers of charred body
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 In case it is feared that they will disintegrate even by the slightest touch or move their
photographs shall be taken as they are.
 Mummified or Adipocered ( fat from decomposition tissues) Fingers
 Take their mold with silicon, make films with strippable paint or cortex, and impress.

POST-MORTEM FINGERPRINTING BENEFITS

1. Permits the surviving spouse to remarry

2. Clears the way for the family to collect life insurance
3. Releases the family from terrible pressure of uncertainty or anxiety
4. In criminal cases, the investigation may be reopened because of identity, and
5. Opens the door for probate of the estate of the diseased.
 LEARNING MODULE IN PERSONAL IDENTIFICATION TECHNIQUES

MODULE 3
LESSON 2
SELF-LEARNING ACTIVITY

NAME: DATE: SCORE:

ESSAY TEST
Direction: State in your own words the Post-Mortem
Fingerprinting Benefits.

Post-Mortem Fingerprinting Benefits.

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