CHAPTER 4

REAL OR TRUE FINGERPRINT IMPRESSIONS AND DATA BASE MAKING

A. 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.

B. Two methods of producing impressions:

1. Rolled Impressions � requires that the thumb be rolled away from the center
of the subject�s body.

2. Plain Impressions � requires that the fingers be taken or printed

simultaneously, then the thumbs without rolling.

? Equipment
a. Fingerprint Ink Roller (6� long x 2� in diameter)
b. Fingerprint ink
c. Cardholder and table ( 38� to 40� high)
d. Glass Slab or inking plate
e. Slab and Roller Cleaner
f. Hand cleaning materials (Alcohol, petroleum, cloth & cotton)

C. Methods of recording real impressions

1. Slab and Roller Method � placing ink on the slab and spreading it

2. Porelon Pad Method � use inking pad

3. Print Matic Method � the roller itself bears the ink then rolled over the
slab
 D. Rules to observe in taking legible F/Ps

1. Cleanliness of equipment/washing of hands before fingerprinting

2. The right kind and correct amount of ink

3. Proper distribution of ink on the glass slab

4. The subject�s hands must be relaxed

5. Proper distance of the subject from the glass slab/proper alignment

6. Even pressure to be applied

7. The fingers must be rolled from one side to the other

8. The inking and printing must reach the first joint of the finger

9. The thumb must be rolled towards the body and the other fingers away from
the subject�s body

10. The subject�s fingers must be controlled to prevent twisting

11. Speed of the rolling finger

12. 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

13. 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

 E. 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 (2) Sub-systems:

1) 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.

2) 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

a) 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, i.e., to the fingerprint center by
designating the name with whom comparison is needed.

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

a) Fingerprint the suspect immediately upon arrest

b) Take palm prints too

c) Employ the rolled and plain impressions method

2) Impressions of Fingerprints � To make correct classifications possible, all

impressions must be made correctly and clearly

3) Methods of Impressing

a) Rolling Impressions � done by fully rolling the fingers from one side to the
other

b) 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.

c) Palm print impressing � is to impress palms unto the palm print impression
column. Impress it fully with extended palms.

4) Impressing Techniques

a) 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
b) General Rules in Impressing

1) Maintain impressing implement � cure of glass plates and roller from dust

2) Wash fingers thoroughly

3) Dry the fingers before impressing

4) Apply proper amount of ink

5) Don�t double impress

6) Don�t forget flay impressing

c) 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.

? 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.

d) Extra-ordinary Impressing

? 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
 F. Problems encountered by fingerprint operator

01. Fingers have fresh cut, wound or bandaged

? Remedy: note on the corresponding space on the card

? If it is possible, examine the ridges directly.

02. When the hands are perspiring excessively

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

03. When fingers are very dry

? Remedy: Rub the fingers with oil, cream or lotion

04. When the fingers are very fine like the ridges of the fingers of a baby

? Remedy: Use little amount of ink

05. When one or more fingers are lacking or missing

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

06. When the fingers are band, broken or crippled

? Remedy: Use one of the methods in taking the print of the dead

07. 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.

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

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

09. 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.
G. Fingerprint Impressing Techniques on a dead body

* Problems and practices in fingerprinting the Dead

? Climate conditions

? Subject factors

? Nature of the surface

1. 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.

2. 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

3. 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.
4. Fingers with Peeled-off surface skin

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

5. Fingers of charred body

* In case it is feared that they will disintegrate even by the

slightest touch or move their photographs shall be taken as they are.

6. Mummified or Adipocered ( fat from decomposition tissues) Fingers

* Take their mold with silicon, make films with strippable paint or
cortex, and impress.

H. POSTMORTEM 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

CHAPTER 5

TYPES OF PATTERNS AND INTERPRETATION OF FINGERPRINTS

 A. GENERAL TYPE OF PATTERNS � each group bearing the same general
characteristics or family resemblance. The patterns may be further divided into
sub-groups by means of the smaller differences existing between the patterns in the
same general group.

1. Arch � 5 % (Plain and Tented) � are impressions in a pattern area where the
ridges enter on one side of the impression and exit on the other side with a wave
or rise in the center.

2. Loops � 60% - 65% (Ulnar and Radial) � are type of patterns in which one or
more of the ridges enter on either side of the impression, recurve, touch or pass
an imaginary line drawn from the delta to the core and terminate toward the same
side of the impression where it originally entered.

3. Whorls � 30% - 35% (Plain, Double Loop, Central Pocket Loop and Accidental) �
are types of pattern in which at least with two deltas present.

B. RULES GOVERNING THE SELECTION OF DELTA

01. The Delta may not be located at a bifurcation, which does not open towards the
core;

02. When there is a choice between a bifurcation and another type of delta, the
bifurcation is selected;

03. When there are two or more possible deltas, which conform to the definition,
the one nearest to the core is chosen;

04. The Delta may not be located in the middle of the ridge running between the
type lines towards the core, but at the nearest end only.

C. RULES GOVERNING THE SELECTION OF CORE

1. The core is placed upon or within the innermost sufficient recurve;

2. When the innermost sufficient recurve contains no ending ridge or rod rising
as high as the shoulders of the loop, the core is placed on the shoulder of the
loop farther from the delta;

3. When the innermost sufficient recurve contains an uneven number of rods

rising as high as the shoulders, the core is placed upon the end of the center rod
whether it touches the looping ridge or not;

4. When the innermost sufficient recurve contains an even number of rods rising
as high as the shoulders, the core is placed upon the end of the farther one of the
two center rods, the two center rods being treated as though they were connected by
a recurving ridge.

D. PATTERN INTERPRETATIONS

1. Arches

a. Plain Arch � the fingerprint pattern in which the ridges enter on one side of
the impression then flow out on the other side with a rise or wave in the center.

b. Tented Arch � fingerprint pattern in which most of the ridges enter upon one
side of the impression and flow out upon the other side, as in plain arch type,
however, the ridge or ridges at the center do not.

? Types of Tented Arch

1) One or several ridges in the center form an up thrust

2) The ridge or ridges at the center form a definite angle, that is 90 degrees
or less
3) That type in which, the pattern may have two or three of the four essential
requisites of a loop pattern.

2. Loops �That pattern in which one or more of the ridges enter on either side
of the impression, recurve, touch or pass upon an imaginary line drawn from the
delta to the core and terminate or tend to terminate in or toward the same side of
the impression from where such ridge or ridges enter.

a. Ulnar Loop (U) � type of pattern in which the ridges flow toward the ulna
bone or little finger.

b. Radial Loop (R) � derived its name from the radius bone of the forearm; it is
a type of pattern in which the ridges run its direction towards the radius bone or
thumb.

? Requisites of a loop pattern;

- it must have a delta and a core

- it must have a ridge count of at least one
- it must have a sufficient recurve or recurving ridge that passes an imaginary
line between the delta and the core

* RIDGE COUNTING - the process of counting the ridges intervening between the delta
and the core. Neither the delta nor the core is counted when an imaginary line is
drawn connecting them.

1) When a bifurcation is exactly at the point where the imaginary line

crosses, two ridges are counted.

2) If the line crosses an island both sides are counted.

3) Fragments and dots are counted as ridges only if they appear as thick and
heavy as the other ridges in the immediate pattern.

3. Whorls

a. Plain Whorl � simplest form of whorl construction and is the most common of
all types of whorl. It is a fingerprint pattern, which has two deltas and at least
one ridge making a complete circuit in the form of a spiral, oval, circular or any
variant of a circle MUST touch or cross the imaginary line drawn between the two
deltas.

b. Central Pocket Loop - a fingerprint pattern, which has two deltas and at
least NO ridge making a complete circuit, which may be spiral, oval, circular or
any variant of a circle DO NOT touch or cross the imaginary line connecting the two
deltas. It is called a composite or transitional pattern because it is made up of
two patterns in one, a whorl inside a loop.

c. Double Loop Whorl � consist of two separate and distinct loop formations,
with two sets of shoulders and two deltas. One of the loops surrounds or overlaps
the other and also called composite pattern, like the central pocket loop whorl.

d. Accidental Whorl � it is a pattern consisting of a combination of two or more

different types of pattern except plain arch with two or more deltas.

* WHORL TRACING � When the deltas have been located, the ridge emanating from the
lower side or point of the extreme left delta is traced until the point nearest or
opposite the extreme right delta is reached. The number of ridges intervening
between the tracing ridge and the right delta are then counted.

Ridge traced inside is three or more � Inner or �I�

Ridge traced outside is three or more � Outer or �O�

Ridge traced inside/outside is two or less � Meeting or �M�

E. COMPONENT OF FINGERPRINT PATTERNS

1. Pattern Area � part of a loop or whorl in which appear the cores, deltas and
ridges

2. Friction Ridges/Papillary/Epidermal Ridges - are the raised strips of the

skin on the end joints of our fingers and thumbs, by which fingerprints are made.

3. Furrows � are depressions or canal-like between the ridges which maybe

compared with the low area in a tire tread.

4. Pores � opening at the ridge surface

5. Bifurcation � is the forking or dividing of one line into two or more

branches

6. Divergence � two ridges running side by side and suddenly separating, one
ridge going one way and the other in another way

7. Creases � are thin, usually straight narrow white lines running traversely or
formed side to side, across the print causing puckering of the ridges

8. Typelines � are two ridges running parallel or nearly parallel, diverge and
tend to surround or surround the pattern area. Considered as the basic boundaries
of most fingerprints

9. Focal points � within the pattern area of the loops and whorls are enclosed
the core and delta referred to as the focal points.

10. Forms of a Delta

a. Bifurcation

b. An abrupt ending ridge

c. Dot or series of dots

d. Eyelet/islet/island or enclosure ridge

e. A short ridge

f. A point on the first recurving ridge located nearest to the center and in
front of the divergence of the type lines

11. Forms of a Core

a. Bar or a rod

b. Staple core

c. Fragmentary core

12. Recurving Ridge � a ridge that curves back in the direction in which it
started.

13. Appendage � A short ridge at the top or summit of a recurve usually at right
angle

14. Incipient or Nascent Ridges � a kind of ridge which is madly formed, thin,
short or broken which appear or appears in the depressions between two well formed
ridges

15. Puckering � as growth go, some or several ends of the ridges curls slightly.
16. Staple � Single recurving ridge at the center of the pattern area

17. Spike � An ending ridge at the center of a pattern, which forms the upthrust

18. Delta � A point on a ridge at, or in front of, or nearest to the center of,
the divergence of type lines.

19. Core � the central point of convergence of the pattern of approximate center
of the pattern

20. Convergence � two or more lines forming an angle, a ridge whose closed end is
angular and serves as a joint or convergent.

F. QUESTIONABLE PATTERNS

Reasons why there are questionable patterns:

1) No two fingerprints will appear exactly alike;

2) Differences in the degree of judgment and interpretation of the

individual classifying fingerprints;

3) Difference in the amount of pressure used by the person taking the

prints; and

4) The amount or kind of ink used.

Rules of consideration:

1) A very difficult and unusual pattern � it has characteristics of

three types, the whorl, the loop and the tented arch. It is given the preference of
an ACCIDENTAL TYPE OF WHORL (reference to as loop and as tented arch).

2) The difficulty lies in locating the delta, type lines and the core
in order to determine what type of pattern is it.