1060

2000

Inventory (mark and describe evidence per agency policy)

2010

Select single item/latent to review using one or more of the following criteria: 

2020

2030

Would physical, chemical, optical, or digital enhancement processing be helpful?

2040

Have all suitability for analysis determinations been made?

2050

Is the enhancement technique available? (in house or outsource)

2060

Apply physical, chemical, optical, digital enhancement (off map conducted by examiner or someone else) 

2070

Is the quality and quantity sufficient to proceed per agency policy?

2080

Preserve the friction ridge detail per agency policy (e.g., photo or scan)

2090

Continue without assessing additional latents?

2100

Are suitability for analysis determinations verified? 

2120

2130

2140

Review initial examiner analysis and confirm that determinations are well supported 

2150

2160

Share limited case data (per agency policy)

2170

Conduct independent analysis (examiner begins at 2030)

2180

2190

Resolve conflicts (Follow agency conflict resolution policy)

2200

2210

2220

Discontinue examination and document per agency policy

2230

3000

Discontinue assessment and document per agency policy

7000

(Discontinue examination and document per agency policy)

FBI Postmortem Printing Series

Item(s) forwarded to assigned examiner:

Example of an exemplar card with rolls (first two rows of prints) and slaps (last row of prints).  

Exemplar card

Example of the back of a completed latent print lift card. 

Lift card 

Technical Assessment

Virginia Department of Forensic Science Latent Print Procedures Manual

Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Forensic Laboratory Latent Print Technical Manual

Lift card marking

Evidence marking

Example of a marking (i.e., curved line) made by an examiner to indicate an observable fingerprint with friction ridge detail. 

Fingerprint marking 

Example of a marking (i.e., bracket) made by an examiner to indicate an observable palm print with friction ridge detail. 

Palm marking 

Example of a marking (i.e., brackets) made by an examiner to indicate an observable phalanx print. 

Phalanx marking

Select single Item/latent to review using one or more of the following criteria:

Houston Forensic Science Center Latent Print Section Sequential Processing of Evidence

Example of a latent print with some observable friction ridge detail present (CAST grade 1).  

CAST 1: Latent print with little observable friction ridge detail (see grading scheme)

Example of a latent print with less than 1/3 of observable friction ridge detail present (CAST grade 2).  

CAST 2: Latent print with some observable friction ridge detail (see grading scheme)

Example of a latent print with between 1/3 and 2/3 observable friction ridge detail present (CAST grade 3).  

CAST 3: Latent print with clear observable friction ridge detail (see grading scheme)

Example of a latent print with over 2/3 observable friction ridge detail present (CAST grade 4).  

CAST 4: Latent print with very clear observable friction ridge detail (see grading scheme)

Guidelines from the International Fingerprint Research Group for the Assessment of Fingermark Detection Techniques which presents the Centre for Applied Science & Technology's (CAST's) grading scheme for the assessment of developed fingermarks (Grade 0-4). 

CAST Grading scheme for the assessment of developed fingermarks

Example of a latent print processed using cyanoacrylate fuming before (left) and after (right) digital enhancement processing that adjusted the original captured color to greyscale and inverted the color of the observable friction ridge detail.  

Latent print before and after digital enhancement

Example of a latent print processed using cyanoacrylate fuming before (left) and after (right) the application of basic yellow dye stain and visualization using an alternative light source.  

Latent print before and after chemical enhancement

Example of a latent print processed using basic yellow dye stain (left) and after (right) digital enhancement processing that adjusted the original captured color to greyscale and inverted the color of the observable friction ridge detail. 

Federal Bureau of Investigation - Processing Guide for Developing Latent Prints

UK Home Office Centre for Applied Science and Technology - Fingerprint Source Book

Lynn Peavey Company -  Evidence Processing and Instruction Manual

Alternative Methods of Latent Fingerprint Enhancement and Metrics for Comparing Them

Using Photoshop Actions for Latent Print Enhancement and Crime Scene Photography

CBDIAI's Latent Fingerprint Processing Techniques - Selection & Sequencing Guide

Chapter 7: Fingerprint Sourcebook

Digital enhancement of latent prints using adobe photoshop black & white adjustments 

Example video of the digital processing of an image to enhance light ridges by using the blue channel on photoshop to invert the image.  The area of the print that is lighter is then darkened using levels in the mid tones to make the tones consistent throughout the image.  The entire image is then darkened and saved in the gray the scale mode.  

Video showing digital processing techniques

R&D 2014 – Fundamental Forensic Science Research-Part II – Forensic Technology Center of Excellence (forensiccoe.org)

Fingermark submission decision-making within a UK fingerprint laboratory: Do experts get the marks that they need? - ScienceDirect

Standard for the Application of Blind Verification of Friction Ridge Examinations

Accuracy and reliability of forensic latent fingerprint decisions

A practical tool for information management in forensic decisions: Using Linear Sequential Unmasking-Expanded (LSU-E) in casework

Ensuring That Forensic Analysis is Based Upon Task-Relevant Information

Houston Forensic Science Center Latent Print Section Conflict Resolution and Consultation Procedures

Resolving latent conflict: What happens when latent print examiners enter the cage? - Center for Statistics and Applications in Forensic Evidence (forensicstats.org)

Technical Assessment

Controls

Technical Assessment