FINGERPRINT PATTERN LOOP PATTERNS

INTERPRETATION A LOOP is a pattern in which one or more ridges enter

upon either side, recurve, touch or pass an imaginary
TYPES OF PATTERNS line between delta and core and pass out or tend to
ARCH LOOP WHORL pass out upon the SAME SIDE the ridges entered.
Plain Arch Radial Loop Plain Whorl
Tented Arch Ulnar Loop Central Pocket BASIC REQUIREMENTS OF A LOOP:
Loop There are three basic requirements of a loop:
Double Loop 1. Sufficient recurve;
Accidental 2. Delta;
Whorl 3. Ridge count across a looping ridge.

RIDGE COUNTING:
Draw a line BETWEEN delta and core. If you touch or
cross a ridge, you have a RIDGE COUNT. One ridge must
be a looping ridge. The delta and core are NOT
included in the ridge count.

TYPES OF LOOPS:
A. ULNAR LOOPS
 They flow toward the little finger – Ulna bone.
 It is indicated by a diagonal line in the direction
the loop flows.

 The deltas for the right hand, fingers 1 – 5, are on

the LEFT SIDE of the pattern.
 The deltas for the left hand, fingers 6 – 10, are on
the RIGHT SIDE of the pattern.
Remember:
 Right hand ulna – Delta on Left side
 Left hand ulna – Delta on Right side

B. RADIAL LOOPS
 They flow toward the thumb – Radius bone
 It is indicated by a Capital “R” in fingers two and
seven and by a small “r” in all other fingers.

B. UPTHRUST TYPE TENTED ARCH:

1. An upthrust must be an ending ridge – a ridge
which ends in space.
2. An upthrust must make a definite change of
direction from the basic ridge. It must be an
angle of 45 degrees or more from base ridge.
3. An upthrust must be as high as the surrounding
The direction of flow applies to the fingers on the hand and not as ridges are thick.
they appear on the fingerprint card.
**Dots have no direction.
 The deltas for the right hand, fingers 1 – 5, are on
the RIGHT SIDE of the pattern.
 The deltas for the left hand, fingers 6 – 10, are on
the left side of the pattern.

Remember:
 Right hand radial – Delta on Right side
 Left hand radial – Delta on Left side

ARCH PATTERNS

TENTED ARCH: Is a pattern which possesses an ANGLE,

an UPTHRUST, or two of the three basic characteristics
of the loop.

A. ANGULAR TYPE TENTED ARCH:

1. Formed by two ridges meeting at an angle.
2. One continuous ridge CANNOT form an angle.
3. Angle must be 90 degrees or less.
C. LOOP TYPE (Lacking One Characteristic): Remember:
 This form of tented arch, the one which  Two deltas and at least one ridge making a
approaches the loop, may have any combination complete circuit or variant of a circle.
of two of the three basic loop characteristics,  An imaginary line drawn from delta to delta
LACKING THE THIRD. must cut or touch at least one recurving ridge
 Recurve and delta but NO ridge count. within the inner pattern area.
 Tented arches are indicated by: Capital “T” in
fingers 2 and 7. Small “t” in fingers other than 2
and 7.

B. CENTRAL POCKET LOOP WHORL: Consists

of at least one recurving ridge, or an obstruction at
right angles to the line of flow, with TWO DELTAS,
PLAIN ARCH: between which, when an imaginary line is drawn, NO
 A pattern in which the ridges enter upon one RECURVING RIDGE within the inner pattern area is cut
side, make a RISE or WAVE in the center, and or touched.
flow or tend to flow out upon the opposite side.
 A plain arch CANNOT have a looping ridge, an RECURVING TYPE:
upthrust ridge, an angle, or a recurve.  Like plain whorl, two deltas and at least one
 Plain arches are indicated by: Capital “A” in ridge making a complete circuit.
fingers 2 and 7. Small “a” in fingers other than 2  Difference from a plain whorl – An imaginary line
and 7. drawn from delta to delta must NOT CUT OR
TOUCH A RECURVING RIDGE in front of the inner
delta.

WHORLS

A. PLAIN WHORL: Consists of one or more ridges

which make or tend to make a complete circuit, with
TWO DELTAS, between which, when an imaginary line is
drawn, at least ONE RECURVING RIDGE within the inner
pattern area is CUT OR TOUCHED.
C. DOUBLE LOOP WHORL: D. ACCIDENTAL WHORLS:
 Consists of two separate loop formations, with  Consists of a combination of two different types
two separate and distinct sets of shoulders and of patterns EXCEPT for the plain arch, with two
TWO DELTAS. or more deltas, or a pattern which possesses
some of the requirements for two or more
 No ridge count is needed for loops in a double different types or a pattern which conforms which
loop whorl. conforms to none of the definitions.

 The appendage rule for double loops in the same  A combination of a LOOP and TENTED ARCH
as that for plain loops. formation must have the loop formation
appearing OVER the tented arch. Any loop and
 Plain loop appendage rule – Sufficient recurve tented arch formation not in this position shall
consists of the space between the shoulders of a have the loop formation as the preferred pattern.
loop, free of any appendages which abut upon it
at a right angle on the outside of the recurve.  The overall impression would then be given the
classification of either an ulnar or radial loop.
Remember:
 Two separate loop formations. REMEMBER:
 Two separate and distinct sets of shoulders.  Combination of two different types of patterns
 Two deltas. except for the plain arch.
 Two or more deltas. Only pattern which may
possess two or more deltas.
 Patterns possessing some of the requirements of
two or more different types, with the exception
of the plain arch.
 Patterns conforming to none of the definitions.

FINGERPRINT PATTERN NOMENCLATURE

Plain Arch Radial Loop Plain Whorl
Plain arch radial Loop Double Loop
“S” type whorls and “interlocking loops” are NOT
double loop whorls. Tented Arch Ulnar Loop / Central Pocket
tented Arch Ulnar Loop \ Accidental - X
 WHORL TRACING

The above prints are both inked prints from the

same individual taken on different dates. Note the
inking variations of each print. Also, the print on the left
was not rolled nail to nail as the print on the right.
However, each print contains enough fingerprint
minutiae data to ascertain that they originated from the
same source.

FINGERPRINT RECORDING
INTRODUCTION
There are presently four methods for taking
fingerprints. Each utilizes one of the following elements:
(1) An INK SLAB and ROLLER;
(2) PRINTMATIC™ Roller;
(3) Porelon® Pads, PRINTMATIC™ Impeccable
Ceramic, Thermoplastic and Flawless Pads; and
POINTS OF IDENTIFICATION (4) KlearInk™ Ceramic Pads.

METHOD ADVANTAGES
The INK SLAB and ROLLER method requires more
skill than the pre-inked roller and pad method, but the
prints obtained tend to be CLEANER and of SHARPER
contrast. That makes them ideally suited for computer
enhancement and database storage.

The PRE-INKED PRINTMATICTM Roller method

requires NO ADVANCE PREPARATION because it
contains a built-in ink supply. The main advantage of
this method is that it requires LESS SKILL to roll out a
When enough fingerprint points, which are in uniform coating of ink to obtain satisfactory prints.
the same unit relationship to each other, are present
on both fingerprints in question it is possible to a The PRE-INKED PAD METHOD is an outstanding
scientific certainty to say that the fingerprints SIRCHIE® innovation that includes distinctively different
originated from the SAME SOURCE. ink pads that include the PRINTMATIC™ Impeccable
Ceramic and Flawless Pads, and Porelon® Pads as well
as the KlearInk™ Ceremic Pad. The pre-inked method
combines the advantages of the slab and roller method
with the best qualities and usefulness of pre-inked
pads.
 PRECAUTIONS PRINTMATIC™ METHOD:
Like the Slab and Roller method, the
 Consult appropriate MATERIAL SAFETY. Data PRINTMATIC™ method requires that the operator roll
Sheets (MSDS) found in ink onto an inking slab. The difference is that with the
www.sirchie.com/msds.asp, prior to using. PRINTMATIC™ PRE-INKED ROLLER, coating the slab
Serious injury can result from improper use or requires only a few passes of the roller in the same
modification of this instrument. direction to apply a thin, even layer of ink (Fig. 1).

 DO NOT attempt to REPLENISH INK in the PRE-INKED PAD METHOD:

PRINTMATIC™ roller or any of the pre-inked pads NO ADVANCE PREPARATION is needed to use
as this will damage them. pre-inked pads. However, the pad surface should be
CLEANED OCCASIONALLY to remove oil and dirt
 DO NOT CLEAN PRE-INKED ROLLERS or PADS with deposits by wiping the surface lightly with a soft, dry,
SOLVENTS as this will damage them. Use only a lint-free cloth.
clean, dry cloth, paper towel or No. FPT1C Super
Cleaner Towelette. INKING AND ROLING THE FINGERS
The following recommended procedure is practiced by
WORK TABLE HEIGHT
the FBI.
For best results, the inking area and cardholder To avoid possible smearing, always begin the
should be approximately 39" from the floor. This height fingerprint taking procedure by inking and rolling the
allows the forearm of a subject of average height to be fingers on the right hand.
approximately parallel to the floor, at which position it
is best to roll and record fingerprints. It is recommended that each finger be inked
and rolled INDIVIDUALLY (i.e., ink the thumb then roll it
immediately, ink the forefinger, then immediately roll it,
PREPARING THE INK SLAB
etc.). If all the fingers are first inked and then rolled,
SLAB AND ROLLER METHOD: there is the chance some ink may be transferred from a
STEP 1: First, ink the roller. Apply a small amount finger as it is curled out of the way prior to rolling, thus
(about a 1/4" [.6cm] stream) of fingerprint ink on the causing that finger to print lightly when rolled.
right side of the slab, toward the back. Roll a 2-3"
(5.1cm-7.6cm) wide layer of ink on the back portion of After the fingerprints on the right hand are
the slab—lifting the roller off the slab after each stoke recorded, ink and roll the fingers on the left hand.
and returning to the starting point (DO NOT use a back- When that is accomplished, record the plain
and-forth motion with the roller). Repeat several times impressions of both hands. An examination of the
until a thin film of ink forms on roller. fingerprint record card reveals that these steps follow
the order of the space allotted for each set of
impressions.

1. The subject stands to the right and rear of the

operator (Fig. 2). The operator grasps the
subject’s right hand with his right hand, cupping
his fingers over the subject’s fingers and tucking
under those fingers not being inked. He uses his
left hand to guide the finger being inked. The
right thumb is inked and rolled first. The thumb is
STEP 2: Next, using the same roller motion (without inked by rolling it from right to left, toward the
rolling back-and-forth), spread the layer toward the subject’s body. The thumb is inked from nail to
front edge of the slab until a smooth, UNIFORM nail to a point just below the first joint. Apply ink
COATING of ink forms. The FRONT EDGE is where the one time only.
fingerprints are rolled. When the ink on the front edge
becomes too thin, replenish the roller on the back edge
of the slab and repeat STEP 2.
2. Once the thumb is inked, immediately transfer
the ink to the record card in the space numbered
1 (Right Thumb). Roll the thumb from the right
side to the left side (toward the subject’s body).

3. Next, ink the right forefinger by rolling the finger

from left to right (away from the subject’s body,
Fig. 3). Ink from nail to nail and just below the first
joint. Transfer the ink to the record card by rolling
from left to right in space No. 2 (Forefinger).
Repeat this process for the remaining fingers by
inking and rolling each finger individually (Fig. 4).

4. Reposition the record card to permit adding

impressions from the left hand. Ink the left thumb
by rolling it from left to right (toward the subject’s
body), and then transferring the ink to the record
card, Finger No. 6 space, by rolling from left to
right.

5. Ink the left forefinger by rolling it from right to

left (away from the subject’s body). Transfer the
ink to the record card by rolling it from right to
left. Ink and roll the remaining fingers individually.

6. Plain (Slap) impressions are taken last. Reposition

the record card to permit entry to the bottom
area of the record card. Ink the left thumb by
pressing it straight down onto the ink pad.
Transfer the ink to the Left Thumb box in the plain FINGERPRINT RECORDING
impression area.
DISCLAIMER
7. Ink the remaining four fingers of the left hand
simultaneously by pressing them straight down  This presentation is only to introduce the basic
onto the pad (Fig. 5). Position all four fingers at a concept of this widely accepted reliable
slight angle and press them onto the plain methodology for comparative sciences--ACE-V
impression area for the left hand of the record (this is not my invention!)
(Fig. 6). This angle is necessary to permit all four
finger impressions to be recorded in the space  This should not be construed as exhaustive in
provided. scope and detailed in content

8. Repeat this procedure for the thumb and  The audience is advised to study more this
remaining fingers of the right hand. “newly” but widely accepted methodology.

 Though ACE-V could be useful

inother“Comparative Sciences,” this presentation
will dwell only on Fingerprint Identification.

 For other sciences such as Questioned Document,

Ballistics and some other comparative sciences, I
will leaveit to their respective experts to apply
ACE-V and present it to us
 The process, steps, procedures, or methodology SCIENTIFIC PROCESS
enunciated in this presentation is culled generally
from SWGFAST Standards. This is not intended to Observation Analysis
replace nor be imposed as a standard to any
government or private entities tasked to process
Hypothesis/Experiment Comparison
fingerprint evidence, nor does it represent the Conclusion Evaluation
position of the FIS Phil or the PDEA of which the Peer review Verification
presenter is presently affiliated.
RATIONALE
 Its purpose is for academic discussion only, albeit
may be useful as reference tool for practitioners “Although forensic examiners have been using sound
as well. scientific principles for years, these principles have not
been necessarily been presented in a concise and easy-
“Practice only counts as experience when it is carried to-understand manner.”
out from a position of knowledge.” (Saviano, Jeffrey,Journal of Forensic
David R. Ashbaugh Identification55(4),2005).

ORIGIN OF ACE-V IF WITHOURT THE SYSTEMATIC ACE-V:

 What standard methodology do we adopt?
 1959 – Introduced in Canada for physical  How could we determine at what stage of our
evidence. methodology that we render conclusion?
 ACE – Roy A. Huber, RCMP for Questioned  If the Latent Print is not clear enough, how do you
Document Examination. report your conclusion?
 1980 – Introduced for Friction Ridge Detail.  If the given Known Print is not clear enough for
comparison, will you report a NO CONCLUSIVE
 ACE-V – David Ashbaugh, RCMP, for Friction Ridge OPINION?
Identification.
 When do we know that we erred?
 Before, it was PHACE.
Simply…
 PHACE – Version of David Ashbaugh, RCMP.  Analysis: Ridge flow, clues to orientation, unique
features.
 PHACE – Problem, Hypothesis/
Counterhypothesis, Analysis, Comparison, and  Comparison: Does it fit? How?
Evaluation.
 Evaluation: Checking the fine points; differences –
 ACE – ACE to effect Verification, consensus Explainable or not?
arrived at ACE-V.
 Verification: Find someone to agree.
 ACE-V – 1980s published in the JFI, JFS,
Identification Canada, Fingerprint Whorld.
VISUAL AIDS
 First mentioned in the court of US v. Byron
1. Osborn Grid Method
Mitchell, 1999 (The Trial of the Century on
2. Seymour Trace Method
Fingerprints) under the “Daubert Challenge.”
3. Photographic Strip Method
4. Photographic Strip Method
 Adopted by FBI-Scientific Working Group on
5. Polygon or Pincushion/Constellation Method
friction ridge Analysis, Study, and Technology
6. Overlay Method
(SWGFAST) on 2002
7. Osterburg Grid Method
8. Microscopic Triangular Method
 Widely used in the Forensic Community.

 The PNP adopted ACE-V on March 2015.