Forensics Journal - Stevenson University 2011 | Page 60

STEVENSON UNIVERSITY

was very effective for developing fingerprints on the clear plastic
substrates. The white powder was very effective when used on the
black substrates (e.g., the black trash bag and the black background
portions of the birthday bag) as it provided excellent contrast on the
dark background and adhered well to the fingerprint ridges. The black
magnetic powder exhibited finer flake-like particles that were similar
in their size and shape when compared to the black carbon powder.
Yet, the particles exhibited irregularly-shaped flakes with rough, jagged outlines. The white magnetic powder had the biggest particles,
100-160 µm, which also appeared heavy in nature. This “heaviness”
did not have any adverse effects as fingerprints were well developed
with excellent contrast. The magnetic powders developed prints on a
number of the substrates, including the strongly luminescent background of the red Coke can. The magnetic powder brought out the
fingerprint image by sufficiently suppressing the background; the
writing and areas of color were reduced so that the fingerprint image
stood out. The Greenwop, or green fluorescent powder, resembl Y