Hey everyone, Ned here. My hands are all stained—it’s Bob’s fault. He roped me into a latent fingerprint search exercise. And since he’s doing me that favor—you know the one? No? Well, you can read all about it in Critters: These Animals Will Be the Death of You. I decided to play along.
In truth, it’s nice to have a friend, and it was pretty interesting.
Regular or Magnetic Black Powder? 🧪
Apparently, humans have been fascinated by fingerprints and ridge patterns for thousands of years. There’s even a cliff in Nova Scotia with a prehistoric hand marking that shows visible ridge lines. The patterns are marked, like some ancient forensic scientist analyzed them. How cool is that?
Fast-forward to Bob’s exercise. He had me put lotion on my hands and touch different objects. A bicycle tire. A drinking glass. A granite counter. Even a banana peel! Why lotion? Well, for beginners like me, it helps create clearer prints. The black fingerprint powder clings more easily to the lotion residue, revealing the ridges.
Then came the fun part. Bob handed me a camelhair brush. He instructed me to swirl the powder gently over the spots I’d touched while he photographed the items. And there they were… my fingerprints!
What Works and What Doesn’t 🧤
Science, as Bob loves to remind me, is all about testing what works and what doesn’t.
Next, I used tape to lift the prints. Sometimes I got a perfect, detailed fingerprint. Other times, not so much. Bob yelled at me once for going too fast and leaving air bubbles under the tape.
Now I understand why crime scene techs are so precise—it’s delicate work! What if I had to redo the lifts on all those Crack the Case Books suspects? I’d have to round up that whole kooky bunch again. Believe me, the aggravation of talking to those characters twice is enough to make me appreciate Bob’s patience.
Clean Hands, Clear Conscience 🫧
I’m off to wash this black powder off before it ends up on the furniture. Until next week—keep your fingerprints to yourself, and yourself out of trouble!
— Ned
🔍🪶 Crime Scene Tech Tip
A professional crime scene technician relies on a few key tools for fingerprint detection and lifting: brushes, tape, powder, and backing cards.
👉 Pro Tip: Always use a gentle swirling motion when applying fingerprint powder—never brush side to side. The powder doesn’t just cling to lotion. It adheres to any residue left by natural oils or sweat from a person’s skin. And remember, consistency and patience are what separate a clean lift from a smudged mystery.
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