What is Latent Fingerprint Detection?
Latent fingerprints are marks from a person’s finger that are not visible to the naked eye. Forensic investigators often use special equipment or substances to make latent fingerprints visible. One of the most common is fingerprint powder. A person’s hands and feet always have a fine film of oil, sweat, and other compounds on their surface. Whatever a person touches bears traces of these substances, which creates a fingerprint that reflects the small ridge lines of the finger. When fingerprint powder is sprinkled over an affected area, the powder adheres to the oil, sweat, or other materials left in a fingerprint. This makes the fingerprint become visible. Forensic scientists and law enforcement can then collect information about the fingerprint that can help them identify the person who left it.
