CHAPTER II

FINGERPRINT CHARACTERISTICS
AND FORMATIONS
 The study of skin pores or it Involves the study of the
configuration, size, and relative position of the pores in human skin,
which are the external openings of the sebaceous and sweat glands.

Poroscopy
It involves palm print identification.

Chiroscopy
 Dactyloscopy from the Greek Word

Dactylos - a finger Skopien - to examine

 It is a method of evaluating all friction ridge structure. It is based
upon scientific principles and procedures that have been established
and verified through years of research.

Ridgeology
 This was first presented in 1962 by Salil Chatterjee of India.
Chatterjee envisioned an identification process where characteristics
along the ridge edge would be compared and evaluated for
comparison purposes.

Edgeoscopy
It refers to the identification of persons through examination and
comparison of fingerprint.

Dactyloscopy
It involves foot print identification.

Podoscopy
It is the scientific study of fingerprints as method of identification.

Dactylography
 It Involves a comparative study of the pores visible in impressions
left at the site of a crime and In the fingerprints of an identified
person.

Poroscopy
It refers to a forensic Identification science that is associated with any
and all ridge detail on the volar areas (bottoms of the hands and the
feet) and not just formations that appear in these areas (scafo.org).

 Ridgeology
Poroscopy was established by ______

Dr. Edmond Locard of

Lyons, France in 1912.
 Dactylography on the other hand is the scientific study of fingerprints
as method of identification. Dactyloscopy is more on the methods of
classifying and comparison of fingerprints or the studying of
fingerprints to establish identification (ask.com).
 Pattern Interpretation

Arches - 5% (Plain - 60/% and Tented -40%)

Loops 60% to 65% (Ulnar 94% and Radial 6%)

Whorls - 30% to 35% (Plain 71%, Central Pocket 13%, Double Loop 13%, and
Accidental 3%)
LESSON 2: RIDGE CHARACTERISTICS
AND FORMATIONS
they are fragmentary ridges formed by short or series of short
ridges

Series of Short Ridges

It also known as Island, Eyelet, lake or Eye

Enclosure
 Enumerate the Five Basic Ridge Characteristics

Short or Series of Short

Bifurcating ridges Dot or Series of Dots
Ridges

Ridge Ending Enclosure

They are fragmentary ridges formed like a dot or dots

Series of Dots
 it is a single ridge which bifurcates where the bifurcating ridges
converge at a certain point to form again into a single ridge

Eyelet
A single ridge which splits into two ridges forming a "Y" shape
formation or structure.

Bifurcating ridges
 It is a point on a ridge formation usually located at the center or
heart of a pattern. It is the approximate center of the pattern.

Core
It is a termination or ending of ridge or ridges

Ridge Ending
 Two ridges running side by side and suddenly separating, one ridge
going one way and the other ridge, another way.

Diverging ridges
These are thin, usually straight narrow white lines running
transversely or formed side to side, across the print, causing the
puckering of the ridges.

Creases
A short ridge at the top or summit of a recurve usually at right
angle.

Appendage
these are unusual ridge structures having no well-defined patterns;
the ridges are extremely short, appear like a series of "patches"
caused by a disturbance of developmental process at early fetal life of
the Individuals.

Dissociated ridges
Two or more lines forming an angle, a ridge whose closed end is
angular and serves as a point of convergence.

Converging Ridges
They consist of disconnected sequences of short ridges embodied
intensely. These are considered in the classification of fingerprints if
they appear as dark and as thick as the surrounded ridges within the
pattern area.

Fragmentary Ridges
Is a single recurving ridge enclosing one or more rods or bars.

Envelop
-This is a kind of ridge which is madly formed, thin, short or broken
which appears in the depressions between two well-formed ridges.

Incipient or Nascent Ridge

This is a connecting ridge between two ridges.

Ridge Bridge
As growth ceases at several ends, the ends curl slightly

Puckering
 These are strips of skin on the Inside of the end joints of the
fingers and thumbs. They are also called papillary ridges or
epidermal ridges.

Friction ridges
It is a ridge that curves back in the direction in which it started

Recurving ridge
It is a ridge that divides to form two ridges which are shorter in length
than the main ridge.

Ridge Hook
These are depressions or canals between the ridges which maybe
compared with the low area in a tire tread.

Furrows
It is a single ending ridge at the center of a recurving ridge of a loop
pattern.

. Rod or Bar
It is that point at which the recurving ridge definitely burns or curves.

Shoulder of a loop
The space between shoulders of a loop, free of any appendage, and a
butting at right angle.

Sufficient Recurve
Single recurving ridge at the center of the pattern area

Staple
 Is an ending ridge of any length rising at a sufficient degree from a
horizontal place.

Up thrust
 it is an ending ridge at the center of a pattern which forms the up
thrust.
 

Spike
basic boundaries of most fingerprints.

Type line
Core Location
 
1. The core is located on the shoulder of the inner most loop (or sufficient
recurve) farthest from the delta.
2. The core is located on the spike or rod in the center of the Innermost recurve,
provided the spike or rod rises as high as the shoulders.
3. If there is an even number of spikes or rods shoulder-high, the core is located
on the end of the farthest of the Innermost spikes from the delta, whether or not
the spike or rod touches the inside of the recurve.
4. If there are an odd numbers of spikes or rods at shoulder the core is located on
the end of the center spike, whether or not it touches the inside of the recurve.
5. Interlocking loops: Join the two loops with an imaginary recurve, making one
loop with a rod or rods inside. Count the rod(s) shoulder-high and then fix the
core.
Delta Location
 General Rule - A dot can be a delta when there is no other alternative.
 
1. When there are two or more possible bifurcation deltas that conform to
the definition, the one nearest the core should be chosen.
 2. The delta may not be located in the middle of a ridge running between
typelines towards the core, but at the end nearest to the core.
 3. A dot may be used as a delta. A dot has no direction.
 4. The delta may not be located at a bifurcation that does not open toward
the core.
 5. When there is a choice between a bifurcation and another type of delta,
the bifurcation is selected.
The part of the fingerprint which lies within the area surrounded by
the type lines.

Pattern area
 It is the process of counting the Intervening ridges that touch or
cross an Imaginary lien drawn between the core and the delta.

Ridge Counting
 Eight Basic Fingerprint Patterns

Radial loop (R) Ulnar loop Plain whorl (W)

Central Pocket Loop

. Double Loop Whorl (D) Accidental Whorl (X)
Whorl (C)

Plain Arch (A) Tented Arches (T)

consisting of two (2) separate and distinct loop formations. One the
loops surrounds or overlaps the other, also called COMPOSITE
PATTERN. Two or more loops in a double loop whorl need not comply
with all the requirements for a plain loop pattern and that no ridge
count necessary for both loops in the formation.

Double Loop Whorl (D)

derived its name from the ulna bone of the forearm, or little finger as
the ridges flow toward the ulna bone or little fingers. Its symbol is
letter "U" in classification purposes. A pattern to be a loop must have
the following four (4) essential requisites:
a. It must have a core
b. It must have a delta
c. an Imaginary line must pass between the core and the delta
d. It must have a ridge count of a minimum of at least one (1)
 

Ulnar loop
 the most part of a loop, but which has small whorl inside the loop
ridges, sometimes called a composite pattern, which means that it is
made up of two (2) patterns in one, a whorl inside a loop. It has 2
deltas, one of which appears as the edge of the pattern area, as in
plain loop. And one shows inside the pattern area just below the
counterpart ridges.

Central Pocket Loop Whorl (C)

derived its name from the radius bone of the forearm; it is type of
fingerprint patterns in which the ridges run its direction to the radius
bone or to the thumb. If it appears in the right hand is indicated by a
slant, or mark, thus (/), or ( ), if the radial loop appears in the left
hand.

Radial loop (R)

 ridges enter on one side of the pattern and flow towards the other
side with a rise at the center with not more than one of the four (4)
essential requisites for loop pattern and with no recurving ridge, no
angular formation and no upward thrust.

Plain Arch (A)

their ridge formations are not so simple as those of the plain arch,
also considered Transitional Pattern between a plain arch and a loop.

Tented Arches (T)

It is a pattern which is a combination of two or more different types of
pattern except in the Plain Arch. It can be a combination of a loop and
a whorl, a loop and a central pocket loop whorl, or any combination
of two or more different loops and whorl type patterns. It is also a
composite pattern.
 

Accidental Whorl (X)

 consist two (2) deltas and in which at least one (1) ridge makes a
turn through one complete circuit, an Imaginary line drawn between
the two (2) deltas must touch or cross at least one (1) of the
circuiting whorl ridges within the pattern area.

Plain whorl (W)

Upthrust Type - One or several ridges in the center of the form an up
thrust.
Angle Type - The ridge or ridges in the center formed a well-defined
angle.
Loop Type - The pattern may have two or three or four essential
requisites of a loop pattern.
Arbitrary Type
LESSON 3
Equipment Used In Preparation for Taking Fingerprint Using Slab and
Roller Method

Inking Plate Card Holder Roller

. Standard Eight By Eight Inches

Ink Fingerprint Stand
Fingerprint Card
The bulbs of the last phalanges of the fingers and thumb are pressed
on the surface of the paper after pressing them on a plate with
printing ink.

 Plain Method
A 12 inches plate is long enough for most set of 0 fingers. The width of
the plate should not be less than 8 Inches, ten (10) is a better width. A
10 inch plate is also wide enough to ink a complete palm in one
operation whenever it becomes necessary.
 

Inking Plate
 Impressions of the finger bulbs with the use of the printing Ink on the
surface of the paper. Any other coloring materials may be used but
less visible and indelible.
 

Real Impressions
The simplest is a U-shaped spring damp. It is made of spring steel,
stainless steel or brass of gauge sufficient to hold its shape in heavy
usage.
 

Card Holder
The bulb of the thumb and other fingers are rolled on the surface of
the paper after being rolled In an Ink pad with the printing ink.
(Rolling must be from nail to nail or 180 degrees).

Rolled Method
 Method of producing real impressions
 

Plain Method Rolled Method

 It is found to be adequate for receiving five rolled impressions
across the card the size convenient for handling and filing. (8*8
Inches

Standard Eight By Eight Inches

Fingerprint Card
 It is the process of tracing the ridges that emanate from the lower
side of the left delta towards the right delta to see where it flows in
relation to the right delta

Ridge tracing
 6 Inches long, and 2 Inches in diameter. The handle should have
supporting posts or legs to suspend the rubber roller from
developing flat sides and to keep unused portions of the plate and
table top from being smeared with Ink.

Roller
32 inches high, the inking surface of a fingerprint stand should be
approximately 12 inches above the top of an ordinary desk making
the printing surface approximately 44 inches from the floor for the
average person.

Fingerprint Stand
 black printers Ink is the most commonly used for taking fingerprint
Impression. It is a consistency suitable for rolling into a thin film and
it is quick drying when transferred to a card as an Inked impression

Ink
Fountain pen ink, colored ink and stamp pad ink are objectionable
for several reasons

They are too thin Dry too quickly Stamp pad smears easily

Impressions using stamp Unsatisfactory for

pad reproduce 'weave comparison purposes.
“of the pad stamp
covering the Inked
Impression.
 Important points to be considered in taking legible fingerprints:

Cleanliness of equipment

The right kind and correct amount of ink.

Proper distribution of ink on the glass slab or inking plate.
The distance of the subject from the Inking on the fingerprint card.

The advice of the operator to the subject to relax and never to aid in the operation
The pressure exerted must be slight and even the rolling be continuous movement including lifting.

The mall of the fingers should be at rights angle to the slab or to the card before starting the
rolling and always roll the fingers until the other side of the nail is reached (180 degrees).
The Inking and printing must always reach below the first of the fingers.
The thumbs should be rolled towards the subject's body and all other fingers away from the
subject's body.
 Steps In taking fingerprints

The first and most Important step is clear the plate thoroughly.

A daub of printer's ink deposited near the edge of the plate away from the
operator

The subject's hand and fingers must be relaxed.

 Finger disabilities that need extra-attention in taking prints:

Permanent Disabilities
Temporary Disabilities
a. lack of fingers - in-born or
a. fresh cuts or wounds or
amputated
bandaged fingers
b. crippled fingers bent or
b. Occupational marks
broken
(dry skin) - carpenters,
c. deformities - webbed,
bricklayers, etc.
extra fingers (poly dactyl)
c. Excessive perspiration
d. old age e. split
 
fingers/thumbs
 Enumerate the Extraordinary taking of real fingerprint
impressions

Excessively sweating fingers

Fingers with stiff joints

Fingers with stiff surface skin, coarse fingers and fingers suffering
from dermatophytosis
 Wrap fingers in a steamed towel for several minutes, then impress. In
this case, somewhat denser Ink and somewhat weaker Impressing will
be better.

Fingers with stiff surface skin, coarse fingers

and fingers suffering from dermatophytosis
Impressing shall be made after temporarily suppressing sweating by
wiping fingers with a lightly squeezed piece of gauze to which
formalin alcohol liquid (100 ml. of ethyl alcohol liquid containing 1-3
ml. of formalin pharmacopoela) is applied.

Excessively sweating
fingers
Impressing shall be made after shaking a subject's hand grasped by
the wrist up and down several times to smoothen the Joint
movement. In this case, if the Impressing plate and the glass plate are
placed somewhat higher while having the subject stand somewhat
away from the table, handling would be easier.

Fingers with stiff joints

 Impressing shall be made using an ald such as a spatula for taking
fingerprints from a dead body.
 

Stiff fingers of a
clenched fist
. In case where it is feared that they will disintegrate by even the
slightest, their photo shall be taken as they are.
 

Finger of charred body

Take their mold with silicon after drying with lycopodium powder. In
order to obtain fingerprint Impressions from silicon molds, strippable
paint or cortex shall be used.
 

Fingers with percolate

Wipe out fingers with a piece of gauze containing alcohol if they are
stained. In case where satisfactory roll impressions are not obtainable
by the ordinary Impressing technique, the impression paper shall be
cut to a proper size, and impressing shall be made onto it using such
aids as a fingerprint taking pallet from a dead body.

Fingers soon after death

 Wind that surface skin around the operator's finger. Apply Ink to it
and Impress. When the true skin is exposed, take photo after
applying Ink to the true skin or drying it with an aqueous marker in
water or alcohol.

Fingers with peeled-off

surface skin.
Take their mould with silicon, make films with strippable paint or
cortex, and impress.
 

Mummified or
adiopocere fingers
 Wipe them with a piece of alcohol - containing gauze, soften them
thoroughly with your fingertips, stretch wrinkles, and then Impress.

Finger without percolate

 ENUMERATE THE CHANCE FINGERPRINT IMPRESSIONS

Plastic impression Visible prints Latent prints

It is visible without chemical treatment

Visible prints
It is visible grossly but made visible by the addition of some
substances found scene of a crime.

Latent prints
on wet paint, soap, cellophane tapes or any plastic materials.

Plastic impression
 Enumerate the classification of powdering methods

Sprinkling or tapping
Brushing method Rolling method
method

Spraying method Light-striking method

after having powder adhere to a fingerprint by lightly tapping the
object to be examined, the fingerprint is developed by lightly tapping
a part of the object with one's fist, etc. to remove excess powder.

Sprinkling or tapping method

after affixing powder to an object to be examined with a brush
(developing brush) to whose tip a small quantity of powder has been
affixed a fingerprint is developed by lightly sweeping it with another,
powder less brush (finishing brush) to remove excessive powder; and
suitable for development using strongly adhesive powder.

Brushing method
after evenly spraying powder over the object to be examined from a
distance of approximately 30 cm, the fingerprint is developed by
removing excess powder by an air spray or with a brush, etc; suitable
for development from a porous or solid object using lowly adhesive
powder
 

Spraying method
It also called the powder method since powder is used, and Is the
most basic method; latent or visible fingerprints are developed or
clarified by affixing powder to them, and are collected by lifting them
onto the lifting material or by photographing, and effective for
collection latent fingerprints from such objects as glass, porcelain,
metal, and painted articles.
 

Solid Method (Powder

Method)
after having powder adhere to a fingerprint by, say, lightly striking the
object to be examined with a brush tip to which powder has been
applied, the fingerprint is developed with another brush to which no
powder is applied or by air blowing with a blower brush or a spray to
remove excess powder; and suitable for development with a porous
or adhesive surface
 

Light-striking method
after placing a proper quantity of powder on an object to be
examined, lightly moving it by bending and tilting, spreading out
powder all over the object to have powder adhere to the fingerprint,
the fingerprint is developed by flipping the back side of the object to
remove excess powder; and suitable for development by applying
lowly adhesive powder to paper, photographic film, foil or other easily
movable object to be examined.

Rolling method
It is effective for developing a latent print from an object such as
paper, wood or metal and to collect a visible fingerprint such as a
blood fingerprint. This is a chemical collecting method whose
principle is that the element of the chemical liquid reacts to the
element in excreta or blood by changing color a. Reagent (chemical
liquid) - Reagents commonly used are ninhydrin, silver nitrate, etc. b.
Method to affix reagent - Method to affix reagent Include the painting
method, soaking method and spraying method.
 

Liquid Method
It include methods employing cellophane tape, vinyl tape or other
adhesive tape, and methods employing silicon rubber.

Lifting Method
affixing soot to a latent or unclear fingerprint. The developed
fingerprint shall be collected by lifting in onto lifting material or by
photographing; suitable for collection from metal or other object with
a porous surface.
 

Flame Method
a visible fingerprint is directly lifted to lifting material, a method
where a fingerprint which has been directly lifted is processed with
powder, chemical liquid, etc., and a method where a fingerprint is
lifted using lifting material processed in advance with chemical liquid,
etc., and then preserved as it is or photographed. These are effective
for collecting dust fingerprints, oil/grease fingerprints, and blood
fingerprints.

Lifting Method
 Space age technology is being used to enhance latent prints that
heretofore were of insufficient quality to be used. While Image
processing has been used for some time, the high cost of computers
precluded the use of such technology in most crime laboratories.
Major advances in the microchip Industry and the resulting
proliferation of relatively inexpensive microcomputers have placed
this technology within the budgets of many laboratories.

Protographing
Method
a latent fingerprint is developed by means of coloring by affixing
gasified reagent or by causing chemical change in elements of excreta,
and then collected by photographing or by lifting onto lifting material.
This method is suitable for developing fingerprints from papers,
unpainted wood and textiles Iodine is exclusively used as a reagent.
The developed pattern disappears within a few minutes. Therefore,
reduction is unnecessary.

Gas Method
The word laser is an acronym for light amplification by stimulated
emission of radiation. The use of lasers for detection of latent
fingerprint relatively new and dates from 1976. By 1985,
approximately 50 forensic science laboratories, or approximately 15
percent of the crime laboratories In North America, used lasers.

Development with Lasers

 collecting visible fingerprints with a molding material, and Is
suitable for collecting from an object with so complicated and
uneven a surface that lifting with lifting material is unfeasible. This is
also suitable for collecting a latent fingerprint developed from a
heated object.

Molding Method
Fingerprints on skin surfaces appear to last---------------. Latent prints on
skin can also be done by using cyanoacrylate.
 

about 1-1/2 hours on

living victims
It is used to lift the print from the skin surface by placing the card over
the skin in the suspected area and applying pressure for about 3
seconds. The card is carefully removed and then dusted with black
fingerprint powder to develop the print transferred onto the card. The
fingerprint detained is the mirror image of a normal print, which can
be reversed through photography.

Kromelcote card