A comparative study of latent fingerprint detection on the adhesive side of tape using super glue fuming and wet powder techniques

Abstract

This research aimed to compare methods for detecting latent fingerprints on the adhesive side of adhesive tapes, specifically between the use of superglue fuming combined with wet powder and the use of wet powder alone. The objective was to evaluate the efficiency of each fingerprint detection method based on the number of identifiable minutiae points. The types of adhesive tapes used in this study included clear tape, masking tape, electrical tape, and parcel tape—commonly used in fingerprint recovery. The experimental results revealed that samples not subjected to superglue fuming provided clearer fingerprint impressions, both in terms of ridge clarity and the number of observable minutiae points, compared to those treated with superglue fuming followed by wet powder. This is likely because the superglue fuming process reduced the adhesiveness of the surface and may cause the adhesive side of the tape to bond, resulting in the loss of fingerprint details. The findings suggest that using wet powder alone is more suitable for developing latent fingerprints on the adhesive side of tapes. This technique can be adapted for different types of adhesive tapes and applied in forensic fingerprint analysis.