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Criminal Justice Education Department

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PART 3
RIDGE CHARACTERISTICS
“Galton Details”
“Minutial Points”
“Points of Identity”
“Minutiae”
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Ridge Characteristics Diverging Ridges

Identification of fingerprints relies on pattern matching ✓ Are two ridges running side by side and
followed by the detection of certain ridge suddenly separating, one ridge going one way
characteristics, also known as Galton details, points of and the other ridge going another way.
identity, or minutial points with a reference print,
usually an inked impression of a suspects print.

IMPORTANT TERMS:

Type lines Type lines

✓ The two
outermost
ridges which Converging ridge
tend to ✓ A ridge formation whose closed end is angular
surround the and serves as a point of convergence, usually
pattern area. pointed and abrupt forming a “V” shape.

✓ The basic
boundaries of most fingerprint patterns.

✓ The skeleton of each pattern.

Pattern Area Recurving Ridges (also known as looping ridges)

✓ The ridges that curve back from which it started
✓ The area
in the horizontal baseline.
surrounded by
the typelines.

✓ The area of a
loop or whorl
which contains
the ridge details.

✓ It is the area inside the type lines and the only

part of a fingerprint which is of importance in
regard to interpretation and classification.
Shoulders of a Loop
✓ The two points where the looping ridge start
Point of Divergence (also known as Area of and ends its curve.
Divergence)

✓ The area where

delta can be
found inside the
two diverging
ridges.

Area of
divergence

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Sufficient Recurve
✓ Located at the top or closed end of a
recurving ridge between the two shoulders.
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Core (also known as inner terminus)
✓ The heart of the pattern.
✓ The approximate center of the pattern

Delta (also known as outer terminus and tri-radius)

✓ Found at, in front and/or near the point of

divergence.

Crease
✓ Ridges which are thin, usually straight narrow
white lines running transversely, or formed side
to side, across the print, causing the puckering
of the ridges.

✓ They are caused mainly by minor surface

damaged, work and tear or advanced of age.
BASIC RIDGE CHARACTERISTICS (MINUTIAE)
✓ Creases reveal themselves as white lines on the
Rod/ Bar/ Spike
print and appear to arise from two separate
✓ A single ending ridge located inside the innermost
causes, namely pathological conditions and
sufficient recurve in a loop pattern.
those caused by occupational hazards. They
should be disregarded completely because ✓ it appears inside the innermost sufficient recurve
crease may show in one print while they
maybe absent in the same print taken on a
subsequent occasion. As they are not
permanent they play no part in the
identification process

Bifurcating Ridge (Bifurcation)

✓ A single ridge which splits into two ridges,
forming a “Y” shape structure. It is referred to
as a fork.

double bifurcation

✓ A double bifurcation is a bifurcation where one

of the ridge path bifurcates.

Trifurcating ridges (Trifurcation)

✓ is a friction ridge that divides into three friction
ridges.

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Opposed bifurcation Fragment
✓ are two bifurcations located at both ends of a ✓ a ridge of extremely short in length not more
single ridge. than 3 millimeters.

Short ridge
✓ a ridge that is insufficient or limited in length
Series of Bifurcations
other than the fragment.
✓ Bifurcations that appear in tandem or group.

Series of Short Ridges

✓ A group of short ridges found inside a pattern
area. These ridges could appear also as broken
Ridge Crossing short ridges between well-formed ridges.
✓ A ridge crossing is the point where two ridges
crosses each other forming an "X" formation.

Dot Ridge
Spur or hook ridge ✓ Any dot or point that can be observed inside a
✓ A bifurcation with one short ridge branching fingerprint pattern.
off a longer ridge.

Series of dot ridges or Row of dots

Appendage or Abutment ✓ The group of dots as printed inside a pattern
✓ A short ridge that spoils the sufficiency of a area.
recurve located at the top or summit of a
recurve usually at right angle.

Ridge Ending
✓ an abrupt end of any ridge formation.

Staple
✓ a single recurving ridge on the center of the
pattern area. It can be located along the
looping ridges.
Ridge Brake

✓ the space or between two ridges that appears

to be continuous.

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Island or Lake
✓ Refers to a formation of ridge that forms a
lake-like smaller in size than the enclosure.
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OTHER RIDGE CHARACTERISTICS
Puckering Ridge
✓ A kind of ridge that appears curly, irregular in
appearance and growth ceases at several ends.

Enclosure
✓ A bifurcation which does not remain open but
in the legs of the bifurcation, after running
alongside for a short distance, come together to
form a single ridge once more.

Envelop
✓ A single recurving ridge enclosing one or more
bars, short or dot ridge. Incipient Ridges (Nascent ridges)/ Rudimentary
✓ Ridges that were never counted because they
are only the result of dirt, blurred impressions,
dirty fingerprint paraphernalia and other
factors, the short narrow and badly formed
ridges found between two well formed ridges.

Crossover or Bridge ridge

✓ A ridge that connects atleast two ridges. It must
have crossed and connected two ridges.

Overlap
✓ An overlap is where two ridges ends meet and Dissociated Ridges
overlap on a bias. ✓ are usual ridge structure having a no well
defined pattern, the ridge are extremely short,
they appear like series of patches caused by
disturbance during developmental process at
early fetal life of an individual.

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PART 4
FINGERPRINT PATTERNS
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CATEGORIES /FAMILIES/ GENERAL PATTERN TYPES
OF FINGERPRINTS:

1. Family of loop – 60% frequency.

2. Family of whorl - 35% frequency.

3. Family of arch - 5% frequency.

LOOP PATTERNS FREQUENCY:

1. Radial Loop – 6%.

2. Ulnar Loop – 94%.

ARCH PATTERNS FREQUENCY:

1. Plain Arch – 60%.

2. Tented Arch – 40%.

WHORL PATTERNS FREQUENCY:

1. Plain Whorl - 71%.

2. Central Pocket Loop Whorl - 13%.

3. Double Loop Whorl - 13%.

4. Accidental Whorl
THE 8 FINGERPRINT PATTERNS
1. Plain arch (A) - a pattern in which the ridges
enter on one side of the pattern then flow
toward the other side, with a rise at the center .
- 3%. 4. Ulnar Loop (U) - a fingerprint pattern where the
direction of the ridges flows towards the little finger
side of either right or left hand. The term Ulnar came
from the Greek term “Ulna” which means little finger
bone.

“The simplest of all patterns.”

2. Tented arch (T) - a fingerprint pattern where

majority of the ridges form an arch and one or more
ridges at the center shape a tent in outline giving an
angle of 90 degrees or less or one with an upward
thrust having an angle of 45% or more, or a pattern
similar to a loop but lacking one or two of its essential
elements.

• Considered “Transitional Pattern.”

3. Radial Loop (R) - a fingerprint pattern that has a

downward slope or slanting of the ridges towards the
direction of the thumb either to the right or left hand.

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REQUISITES OF A LOOP: REQUISITES OF CENTRAL POCKET LOOP WHORL

1. It must have a delta; 1. There must be atleast one recurving ridge that
rises at right angle.
2. It must have a core;
2. It must have atleast two deltas
3. It must have a recurving ridge that passes
between the core and delta; and 3. There must be no whorl ridge that touches the
imaginary line drawn between the two deltas.
4. It must have ridge count of atleast one.
OTHER TYPES OF LOOP:
7. Double Loop Whorl (D)

1. Plain Loop – the ridges in this pattern make a backward turn A fingerprint pattern consisting of two separate
arranging themselves in the form of a hairpin or staple. and distinct loop formations with two sets of
2. Converging Loops – the ridges of this pattern converge sharply to shoulders, and two deltas.
give the pattern a possible whorl like appearance.
Also called Composite Pattern.
3. Nutant Loop – the ridges of this pattern conform to the
explanation of the plain loop but additionally the looping ridges
bent over and drops towards the delta.

5. Plain Whorl (W) – a fingerprint pattern consisting of

two deltas and in which at least one ridge makes a turn
through one complete circuit of 360 degrees.

REQUISITES OF DOUBLE LOOP WHORL:

1. There must be two separate loop formations

2. There must be two separate and distinct sets of

shoulders

3. There must be two or more cores and deltas.

Two Types:

1. Elongated or Oval whorl 8. Accidental Whorl (X) – a fingerprint pattern

consisting of a combination of two different patterns
2. Spiral or Circular whorl
such as:
REQUISITES OF PLAIN WHORL:
✓ A combination of a loop and any whorl
1. It must have a complete circuit;
✓ But it cannot be the combination of an arch
2. It must have at least two deltas; and with any other pattern.

3. At least one circuiting ridge is touched or

crossed by an imaginary line traversing the two
deltas.

6. Central Pocket Loop Whorl (C)

a fingerprint pattern which possesses two

deltas, with one or more ridges forming a complete
circuit which may be oval, spiral, circular, or any
variant of a circle.

• Sometimes called a composite pattern (Means,

there are two patterns in one, a whorl inside
loop.)

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PART 5
CORE & DELTA; RIDGE COUNTING & TRACING
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CORE & DELTA - Focal Points of Fingerprints RULES IN LOCATING DELTA

- is also known as Fingerprint terminus. RULE 1 – The bifurcation that is open towards the core
is chosen as the delta.
The two fingerprint terminus:

1. delta – outer terminus

2. Core – inner teminus

RULE 2. If the bifurcation does not open towards the

core, the ending point of the bifurcation nearest to the
core is chosen as the delta.
DELTA (outer terminus/ tri-radius)

✓ The point on the first ridge formation

found at or directly in front of the
divergence of the type lines.

– The word delta is an old Greek word,

and is the 4th letter of the Greek
alphabet.
RULE 3 – When there is a choice between a bifurcation
– Originally refers to a “deposit of earth and another type of delta, the bifurcation is chosen as
at the mouth of a river”. the delta.
– Delta is also known as outer terminus
and tri-radius.

SIX DELTA FORMATIONS:

1. Bifurcation
2. Dot
3. Meeting of two ridges
4. Ending ridge
5. Starting ridge
6. Looping ridge (where no other choice of delta)
RULE 4 – When there is a choice between two or more
CORE (inner terminus) possible deltas (except bifurcation), the delta nearest to
✓ is a point on the ridge formation usually the core is chosen.
located at the approximate center or heart of
the pattern.

Explanation: When the core is referred

as the center of heart of a pattern, it does not
mean that it is the exact central point of the
fingerprint impression because there are numerous
ridge details outside of the type lines which are not
considered in pattern interpretation.

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RULE 5 – When there is a series of bifurcations that RULES IN LOCATING CORE
open towards the core at the point of divergence, the
RULE 1 – If the innermost sufficient recurve does not
bifurcation nearest to the core is chosen as the delta.
contain any rod or bar, the core is placed on the
shoulder of the loop farther from the delta.

RULE 2 – If the innermost sufficient recurve contains

RULE 6 – If a ridge enters the pattern area, where no
odd number of rods/bars rising as high as the
other choice of delta, the starting point of the ridge is
shoulders, the core is placed upon the summit of the
chosen as the delta.
center rod, whether it touches the looping ridges or
not.

RULE 3 – If the innermost sufficient recurve contains

even number of rods/bars rising as high as the
RULE 7. If a ridge enters the pattern area from outside, shoulders, the core is placed upon the summit of the
and no other choice of delta, the ending point of the farther one of the two center rods.
ridge is chosen as the delta.

RULE 4 – If the pattern is a whorl, it is a possibility that

there could be two or more deltas. Most whorls,
houses the core/s in its center.
RULE 8. If there is no visible ridge that may be chosen
as delta, the looping ridge or whorl ridge infront of
the area of divergence maybe chosen as the delta.

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RULES OF RIDGE COUNTING AND TRACING
Ridge Counting
✓ is the process of counting the ridges that touch
or cross an imaginary line drawn between the
core and the delta of a loop pattern.
RULES IN RIDGE COUNTING
1. In a loop fingerprint pattern, locate the delta
and core.
2. Draw an imaginary line between the core and
delta.
3. Count all ridges which touch or cross the
imaginary line drawn between the core and
delta. In actual use of fingerprint card for
classification, the lens is guided by a red line
shown on the disk.
4. Incipient ridges, puckering, disssociated and
creases are NOT counted.
5. Fragments and dot ridges are counted as ridges
only if they appear as thick as the surrounding
ridges.
6. DO NOT include in your counting the delta
and core.
RIDGES SUBJECT TO RIDGE COUNTING
3 RIDGE COUNT
1. Envelop
2. trifurcation
2 RIDGE COUNT
1. An island/lake/eye, and enclosure.
2. Meeting of two ridges or criss-crossing
of two ridges
3. Bifurcation of ridges
4. Converging ridge
1 RIDGE COUNT
1. A short ridge, long ridge, dot ridge,
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2. An abrupt ending of ridges is given one
ridge count.
3. Ridge that bifurcates
Ridge Tracing
✓ The process of tracing the ridges intervening
between the tracing ridge (flows from the left
delta to the right delta) and the right delta in a
whorl pattern.
RULES OF RIDGE TRACING
1. In a whorl pattern, look for the left delta and
trace towards the front of the right delta.
2. When the ridge being traced abruptly ends,
drop to the next ridge just below the original
tracing ridge and continue the tracing until it
reaches the point nearest to the right delta.
3. When the left delta is a dot, the same
procedure in No. 1 shall be followed.
4. When the ridge that is being traced is a
bifurcation, always follow the lower branch
until tracing is completed.
5. Determine whether the tracing ridge flows
inside (above) or outside (below) the right
delta.
6. Draw and imaginary line between the tracing
ridge (refers to the left delta that was moved
towards the right delta) and the right delta and
count the intervening ridge that touch or cross
it.
7. Exclude the tracing ridge and deltas when
counting the intervening ridges.
Examples:
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TYPES OF WHORL TRACING

1. Inner whorl (I) – result is 3 or more ridge count

above or inside the right delta.

2. Outer Whorl (O) - result is 3 or more ridge

count below or outside the right delta.

3. Meeting whorl (M) – the ridge count is 0, 1, 2

either below or above the right delta.

Personal Identification Techniques

Reginald C. Sibug, MS CRIM.
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