<Table> <Tr> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Arch (Tented Arch) </Td> </Tr> </Table> <Tr> <Td> Arch (Tented Arch) </Td> </Tr> <P> Fingerprint identification, known as dactyloscopy, or hand print identification, is the process of comparing two instances of friction ridge skin impressions (see Minutiae), from human fingers or toes, or even the palm of the hand or sole of the foot, to determine whether these impressions could have come from the same individual . The flexibility of friction ridge skin means that no two finger or palm prints are ever exactly alike in every detail; even two impressions recorded immediately after each other from the same hand may be slightly different . Fingerprint identification, also referred to as individualization, involves an expert, or an expert computer system operating under threshold scoring rules, determining whether two friction ridge impressions are likely to have originated from the same finger or palm (or toe or sole). </P> <P> An intentional recording of friction ridges is usually made with black printer's ink rolled across a contrasting white background, typically a white card . Friction ridges can also be recorded digitally, usually on a glass plate, using a technique called Live Scan . A "latent print" is the chance recording of friction ridges deposited on the surface of an object or a wall . Latent prints are invisible to the naked eye, whereas "patent prints" or "plastic prints" are viewable with the unaided eye . Latent prints are often fragmentary and require the use of chemical methods, powder, or alternative light sources in order to be made clear . Sometimes an ordinary bright flashlight will make a latent print visible . </P>

Where do individual ridge patterns on the fingertips and thumb originate