Which fingerprint images are eligible?
Before submitting, ensure your fingerprint images meet all fundamental eligibility criteria. This initial check prevents common reasons for rejection. Use the interactive checklist below to verify that each requirement is met. Click on any item to see more detailed information about that specific rule.
- Primary Subject Record›
- No Prior Submission›
- Complete Metadata›
- Verifiable Chain of Custody›
Details
Click an item on the left to see details here.
What quality standards are required?
Image quality is the most critical factor for a successful submission. All images undergo automated analysis to check for clarity, resolution, and proper capture technique. This section provides visual examples of common failures and the ideal standard to aim for. High-quality prints are essential for accurate matching and long-term archival value.
Rejection: Smudged
Caused by movement during capture. Ridge details are obscured and unusable.
Rejection: Low Contrast
Insufficient pressure or dry skin can lead to faint ridges that are hard to analyze.
Rejection: Incomplete Roll
The print must be rolled nail-to-nail to capture the full ridge detail necessary for identification.
Accepted: Clear & Complete
Clear ridge detail, good contrast, and a complete nail-to-nail roll. This is the archival standard.
Technical Specifications
- Resolution: Minimum 500 pixels per inch (ppi). 1000 ppi is preferred.
- Grayscale: 8-bit grayscale, 256 levels.
- Format: Uncompressed TIFF or lossless WSQ.
- Capture: Must be a full rolled print or a complete flat impression as required by the submission type.
Are digital or physical images preferred?
The format of your submission impacts processing time, accuracy, and long-term viability. While both digital and physical submissions are accepted under certain circumstances, digital is overwhelmingly the preferred method for modern archival systems. This section breaks down the key differences and explains why digital submissions are the standard.
Digital Submission
- ✔Speed: Instantaneous transmission and automated intake processing.
- ✔Accuracy: No risk of degradation from scanning. Original capture quality is preserved.
- ✔Data Integrity: Metadata is embedded directly, reducing transcription errors.
- ✔Efficiency: Immediate feedback on quality errors from automated systems.
Physical Submission
- ✖Speed: Slow processing due to mail transit and manual scanning.
- ✖Accuracy: Potential for quality loss during scanning; risk of smudging or damage.
- ✖Data Integrity: Higher risk of human error in data entry from physical cards.
- !Use Case: Generally reserved for historical records or agencies without digital capture capabilities.
How are submitted fingerprints verified?
Once a fingerprint image is submitted, it goes through a multi-stage verification process to confirm its quality, uniqueness, and accuracy before being accepted into the archive. This ensures the integrity of the entire collection. The process combines automated checks with expert human review. Click on each step in the flowchart below to understand what happens at each stage.