ABSTRACT
Evidence prints are usually divided into three categories: latent prints, visible prints, and plastic impressions. These are convenient descriptors, as long as one bears in mind that they are not mutually exclusive and may not precisely describe the cause or appearance of any particular evidence print. The term latent print is generally used to describe any type of print found at the scene of a crime or on evidence associated with a crime. The term latent means hidden or concealed. When applied to evidence prints it means that, in its original form, the print cannot be seen and must be developed or enhanced by some means to make it visible and subject to collection and comparison. Plastic impressions, even if quite deeply impressed, are still fairly shallow: there is not a great deal of distance from the top of the ridge to the bottom of the valley.
