Fingerprint powders are fine powders used in dusting for fingerprints by crime scene investigators and others in law enforcement. The process of dusting for fingerprints involves various methods intended to get the particles of the powder to adhere to residue left by friction ridge skin on the fingers, palms, or feet.

Although there are hundreds of reported techniques for fingerprint detection, many of these are only of academic interest and there are only around 20 really effective methods which are currently in use in the more advanced fingerprint laboratories around the world.

DNA fingerprinting is a technique that simultaneously detects lots of minisatellites in the genome to produce a pattern unique to an individual. This is a DNA fingerprint. The probability of having two people with the same DNA fingerprint that are not identical twins is very small.

DNA fingerprinting is a chemical test that shows the genetic makeup of a person or other living things. It’s used as evidence in courts, to identify bodies, track down blood relatives, and to look for cures for disease.

One of the most important uses for fingerprints is to help investigators link one crime scene to another involving the same person. Fingerprint identification also helps investigators to track a criminal’s record, their previous arrests and convictions, to aid in sentencing, probation, parole and pardoning decisions.

Fingerprints can be used in all sorts of ways:

• Providing biometric security (for example, to control access to secure areas or systems)
• Identifying amnesia victims and unknown deceased (such as victims of major disasters, if their fingerprints are on file)

Edward Henry recognized that fingerprints could be described as having three basic patterns – arches, loops and whorls.