What Is Your Most Precious Piece of Identification? Your Social Security Card? A School I.D.? Your Movie Rental Pass?

What is your most precious piece of
identification? Your social security card? A

school I.D.? Your movie rental pass?
.....It may become your thumbprint…..!!!

Objective:
To learn the
ө Definition
ө Principles
ө Why fingerprinting?
ө Types (or) patterns
ө visibility
ө methods of visualizing
ө methods for collecting and preserving
impression
ө AFIS- automated fingerprint identification
system
DEFINITION:
A fingerprint is an impression of the friction ridges on all parts
of the finger.
FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF FINGERPRINTS:

1) No Two Individual will have identical fingerprints. No two
fingers have yet been found to possess identical ridge
characteristics.
2) Fingerprints stay the same throughout our lives. A

fingerprint is an individual characteristic. [Attempts at
destroying pattern has failed]
3) Limited variety in patterns allows systematic classification of

an in individuals fingerprints.
Why Fingerprint Identification?
Fingerprints offer an infallible means of personal identification.

That is the essential explanation for their having supplanted other
methods of establishing the identities of criminals reluctant to
admit previous arrests.
The science of fingerprint Identification stands out among all other

forensic sciences for many reasons,
Other visible human characteristics change - fingerprints do not.

Other Ridge Characteristics:
The principle categories of minutiae
are as follows:
› ridge ending - a ridge that ends

abruptly;
› bifurcation - a single ridge that
divides into two ridges;
› short ridge, island or independent
ridge - a ridge that commences,
travels a short distance and then
ends;
› dot - an independent ridge with
approximately equal length and width;
› spur - a bifurcation with a short ridge
branching off a longer ridge; and
› crossover or bridge - a short ridge
that runs between two parallel ridges.
Patterns of fingerprints
Fingerprint Patterns
• Loops:
– Ridge lines enter from one side and curve around
to exit from the same side
– 60-65% of population
• Whorls:
– Rounded or circular ridge pattern
– 30-35% of population
• Arches:
– Ridge lines enter from one side of print and exit
out the other
– 5% of population
Loops
• Ulnar loop- opens toward little finger
• Radial loop- opens toward thumb
• Type lines are two diverging ridges
• At ridge point at or nearest divergence is delta
• All loops must have one delta
• Core is center of pattern
Whorls
• Whorls are divided into
four distinct groups.
• Plain, central pocket loop,
double loop, accidental.
• they have type lines and
minimum 2 deltas.
• Plain whorl & central pocket
loop have at least one ridge.
• The ridge is of the form of
spiral, oval or any variant of
a circle.
Arches
Arches are divided into 2 distinct groups; plain & tented arches.
• Plain arch simplest & formed by ridges entering one side and exiting
opposite side. Ridges rise in center of pattern and form wave-like
patterns.
• Tented arch have at the center a sharp up thrust or spike instead

of like a wave; arches don’t have type lines, deltas or cores
Fingerprint visibility
• Visible prints or patent
These are friction ridge impressions of unknown origins which are
obvious to the human eye and are caused by a transfer of foreign
material on the finger, onto a surface.
In dried blood, paint, etc.
• Plastic prints
A plastic print is a friction ridge impression from a finger or palm
(or toe/foot) deposited in a material that retains the shape of the
ridge detail.
In moldable substance: gum, putty
• Latent prints
Although the word latent means hidden or invisible, in modern usage
for forensic science the term latent prints means any chance of
accidental impression left by friction ridge skin on a surface,
regardless of whether it is visible or invisible at the time of
deposition.
Not visible
Must me visualized by chemical method Fingerprint types
Visualization of Latent Prints:
• On hard surfaces: • On soft surfaces:

– Powder – Iodine fuming
• Grey or black • Nonpermanent visualization
• Florescent – Ninhydrin
• Magnetic • Reacts with proteins
– Superglue – AgNO3
• Reacts with salt
On hard surfaces:
POWDERS:
• Gray colored powder used surfaces like mirrors & metal surfaces they
photograph black
• Black powder : white or light-colored surfaces
• Magnetic sensitive powders spread over surface with magnet form called
Magna Brush; no bristles come in contact with surface so less chance print is
damaged.
• Fluorescent powders used to develop prints & fluoresce under UV light; photo
taken of print under UV light avoid color surface obscure it.
Dusting to visualize a latent print on finished leather & rough plastic is best
done with a fiber glass brush.
Camel hair brushes are also used.
SUPER GLUE FUMING :

Latent print development on non-
porous surfaces like metals, electrical tape,
leather, plastic bags. Cyanoacrylate ester
chemical in super glue interacts and
visualizes latent print.
Picture of latent fingerprint brush
On soft surfaces:
• IODINE FUMING:
– uses solid crystal. Examiner photos print immediately or use 1%
solution of starch in water & spray
• Physical developer silver nitrate-based liquid reagent, effect on former
wet porous surfaces & undetectable using previous methods
• One wishes to use all previous methods on same surface first fume with
iodine, NINHYDRIN, then physical developer.
• These methods used on porous surfaces like paper, card board etc.
• Print turns blue which may take several weeks to months.
• Ninhydrin sprayed on porous surface (paper) & forms purple-blue color
with amino acids or protein present in trace amounts in perspiration .
• Prints begin to appear with in an hour or
2 but weaker prints take 24-48 hours; development
hastened if heated in oven or hotplate.
Preservation of fingerprints
• Dusted prints are lifted on tape and placed on
contrasting color card
• Chemically developed prints are photographed
AFIS
• Automated Fingerprint Identification system
• Digitally encodes fingerprints by ridge ending and
bifurcations
• Allows high-speed computer comparison
• Software can subtract out background or enhance image
Digital imaging for fingerprint enhancement

• Digital imaging -process picture converted into digital file made
up of pixels or electronic dots
• Digital imaging software help enhance fingerprints for more
comprehensive & accurate analysis
• FFT or frequency Fourier transform used to identify periodic or
repetitive patterns such as lines or dots that are interfering
with the interpretation of the image
• Digital imaging does allow for simultaneous comparison of two
prints
• After an investigator visualize print a 1:1 photo is taken
Digital imaging of fingerprints

What Is Your Most Precious Piece of Identification? Your Social Security Card? A School I.D.? Your Movie Rental Pass?

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What is your most precious piece of

identification? Your social security card? A

.....It may become your thumbprint…..!!!

FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF FINGERPRINTS:

2) Fingerprints stay the same throughout our lives. A

3) Limited variety in patterns allows systematic classification of

Fingerprints offer an infallible means of personal identification.

The science of fingerprint Identification stands out among all other

Other visible human characteristics change - fingerprints do not.

› ridge ending - a ridge that ends

• Tented arch have at the center a sharp up thrust or spike instead

• On hard surfaces: • On soft surfaces:

SUPER GLUE FUMING :

Digital imaging for fingerprint enhancement

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