How are fingerprints identified and collected at the crime scene?

It is usually easy to find visible and plastic prints at a crime scene. These fingerprints are visible to the naked eye, after all. Latent prints provide more of a challenge, but new technologies are making it easier to discover these prints at crime scenes. A device called the Reflected Ultraviolet Imaging System (RUVIS) aims UV light at areas where fingerprints may be. If a latent fingerprint exists, it will reflect UV light.

Fingerprint powders are also used to find fingerprints at a crime scene. The powders come in a range of colors and compositions, allowing forensic scientists to choose the best one for each surface.