Fingerprint Lifting Activity

For this forensic lab activity, we practiced different techniques for lifting fingerprints. We practiced lifting prints from dark surfaces using white powder, and also lifting prints from light surfaces using dark powder.

To begin, we first rubbed our thumbs on the sides of our noses, where natural body oil can be found. Then we laid down our prints on the table (which has a black surface). Although the prints were hard to see, we could see it enough in order to apply the powder. Applying the powder was the hardest part of this lab; it took me several tries to get the powder to stick to the print without smudging it! In the end I was able to place tape over the print, which lifted the print (able to be seen because of the powder) from the table.



We repeated this process with a dark powder on a slip of white paper. This one was even harder to do than the white powder, since the black powder was chunkier than the white powder!