ABSTRACT
Fingerprints occur in three forms: latent (invisible), patent (visible), and impression or plastic, a subcategory of patent prints because the ridge detail impressed into a malleable material is visible. Champod et al. [2] categorize these as positive, negative, and indented, respectively. Once thought to be useless and without probative value, smudged prints, a subcategory of latent and patent prints, have little or no discernable friction ridge detail for comparative purposes. As science increasingly discovers better and more sophisticated tools to analyze fingerprints, smudged prints (e.g., DNA extracted from smudged prints) may play an increasingly important role as investigative tools.
