High-Tech Fingerprint
Many areas of scientific study involve the collection of large amounts of data. Such data must be organized in order to be useful.
The patterns of ridges on our finger pads are unique: no two individuals—even identical twins—have fingerprints that are exactly alike.
We leave impressions—or prints—of these patterns on everything we touch with any pressure.
Injuries such as burns or scrapes will not change the ridge structure: when new skin grows in, the same pattern will come back.
The fingerprint can be visible, as when our finger are dirty or oily, or they can be latent, as when they are made only by the sweat that is always present on our finger ridges.
Dactyloscopy is the practice of using fingerprints to identify someone.
Fingerprints can be classified by pattern types, by the size of those patterns, and by the position of the patterns on the finger.
There are three methods you can use for taking prints:
Not recommended: actual rubber-stamp ink pads—too much damage to clothing and surroundings likely.
Easiest and cheapest: rubbing pencil all over a small area of paper or index card to make an “ink” pad, pressing fingers onto the penciled area,lifting prints from fingers with transparent tape, and sticking tape to white index cards for reading
Identiprint is a commercial system used by retail merchants to put customers’ thumbprints on the backs of their checks without making an inky mess. Special “ink” pads and self-stick labels take a dark, clear print without leaving any visible residue on the thumb. I found supplies by searching the Web for “Identiprint.” A dealer took a telephone order for a roll of 500 labels and a dozen pads, at a cost of less than $35 in 10/97, which I received some ten days later. You may also ask a high-volume retail merchant near you to donate a small supply for classroom use. Experimentation has shown us, however, that the pencil method is actually easier to use—if harder to read.
Using fingerprint to be a high-tech is a neat way, and not too expensive: using purchased Identiprint materials.