Preliminary Practice

Fingerprints

When we first studied Fingerprints we examined both our own fingerprints and those of another. Creating ‘modus operandi’ sheets, we set ourselves up as criminals who had been caught and were being booked by a police department. Along with our fingerprints, we also entered our height, weight and the like, signing it all to an alias. I am 5’6”, a shoe size of women’s  8.5, light brown hair, not dyed, right handed, blood type A and my name is the Cupcake Countess, Dr. Fantabulastic-magnificentacular, or Terry. Pleased to meet you.

We also studied methods for lifting fingerprints off of surfaces. Usually on a dry surface, a powder of some kind is used to make the prints visible if they are not. The powder will cling to the oils transferred from our fingers to the surface and make all the ridges that made contact with the surface visible for collection and cataloging. On darker surfaces, forensic investigators will use a white or similarly colored powder such as cornstarch, but if prints are left on a lightly colored or clear surfaces like a glass, a dark powder, often made of carbon, is used to lift the fingerprint.