ABSTRACT
There are a number of factors that enter into the comparison of evidence prints to exemplar prints; the one usually considered to be the most critical is the experience of the examiner. Experience is a very broad term that encompasses many things, some of which can be taught, and some of which can be learned only by making many comparisons. Somewhat analogous to the possible difficulties with chromatically reversed evidence prints is the problem that some examiners have with chemically developed evidence prints. Thumb prints are generally larger than prints of the other digits and will often exhibit a greater distance between the center of the pattern area and the tip. Right-sloping whorls, usually outer tracings, are prevalent in the right hand, and left-sloping loops, usually inner tracings, are prevalent in the left hand. The ability to determine which hand and finger made a particular print can be especially useful in the early stages of a comparison.
