| It was the Chinese that first discovered and began | | | | With more and more businesses, government as well |
| to use fingerprinting as a means for individual | | | | as private entities looking to incorporate fingerprinting |
| identification. That was over 1500 years ago but | | | | into their day to day operations a new method had |
| back then they didn't use it for crime solving. One | | | | to be developed. One that contained the best |
| thing that the Chinese used it for back then was as a | | | | aspects of all of the technologies that had been |
| means for signing and officiating documents and | | | | previously developed. |
| items such as works of art. | | | | This in turn has led to the development and the |
| One big problem with fingerprinting was that ink was | | | | growing popularity of inkless fingerprinting. With |
| always used for taking the actual fingerprint. This left | | | | inkless fingerprinting the person being printed is |
| the person who had been fingerprinted with black ink | | | | presented with what looks like an empty ink pad, |
| all over the fingers and hands, until it finally wore off, | | | | devoid of ink. |
| which could take days. So, obviously new methods | | | | In reality, the pad contains a harmless chemical that |
| needed to be developed. | | | | sticks to their skin just like ink would. After they |
| This in turn, led to electronic scanning technologies to | | | | have applied their finger tip to the inkless ink pad, |
| be developed but these methods and technologies | | | | they they then push their finger tip onto a piece of |
| also had their inherent shortcomings. For instance, | | | | paper that is coated with another chemical the reacts |
| they required some level of training to operate. Also, | | | | with the one contained in the ink pad. |
| they often are fickle and can take several tries | | | | “Presto-chango”, an instant dark fingerprint |
| before they register a viable print. | | | | appears! |