If you were asked to describe the person you spend the most time with, you would probably begin with their most obvious characteristics such as their hair color, eye color, height, the shape of their face, their build, and so on. On paper, these characteristics could describe countless other people. In truth, most of us have not taken a detailed account of even our own unique physical characteristics that would undoubtedly set us apart from the crowd. Given just two sets of fingerprints, would you be able to tell which one was yours? The majority of people would not be able to make such a fine distinction, which is why fingerprint identification is left to the experts.

Fingerprints have been used as personal signatures for thousands of years. From the times of ancient Babylon, parties were required to make an impression on legal contracts in order to prevent forgery. Beginning in 1792 BCE, Babylonian law officials took impressions of individuals who had been arrested. This trend spread to other areas of the world including China where officials took into account fingerprints and foot prints left at crime scenes.

Contemporary fingerprint identification utilizes refined techniques that greatly increase the probability of proper identification. Computer technology has made it possible to detect the most nuanced details of a fingerprint or footprint reducing the rate of error. While it is widely accepted that no two fingerprints are alike, the use of forensic fingerprint evidence is still somewhat controversial. Even so, it has become the most powerful tool for personal identification and has been used for a wide variety of purposes.

Fingerprinting is not synonymous with the identification of criminals. Besides its use in forensic law, fingerprint identification has been used in security applications. Since the turn of the century, electronic fingerprint readers have been used for secure access into buildings, computers, and sophisticated devices. For instance, hundreds of schools across Britain have replaced library cards with fingerprint ID systems. Fingerprinting is also used to identify missing or deceased persons.

While other forms of identification such as facial recognition, iris-scanning, voice authentication, and signature verification are being developed, it will take some time before they reach the level of accuracy that fingerprinting provides. For now, fingerprinting is the leading method used for personal identification. With the use of innovative devices that allow greater image enhancement, fingerprint identification has come a long way from reading prints with the naked eye or with a crude magnifying glass. Studies continue to be made to improve fingerprint verification systems.