Can you take a fingerprint off of a paper towel?

Oh god, that'd be awful to try. It's already very difficult to pull a fingerprint off normal paper. The texture of the paper towel would make it a huge pain. If a CSI or forensic scientist was determined enough, maybe. But it's more likely that th... read more

Oh god, that’d be awful to try. It’s already very difficult to pull a fingerprint off normal paper. The texture of the paper towel would make it a huge pain. If a CSI or forensic scientist was determined enough, maybe. But it’s more likely that the fingerprint would be ruined in the process of attempting to lift it. read more

Curved surfaces probably won't get a full impression; textured surfaces will be missing most of the print data from the recessed areas; lift tape won't stick to wet surfaces; porous surfaces can absorb fingerprint oil and present some of the same challenges textured surfaces do. read more

``Most paper has a fairly porous surface, so it's easy to get prints off,'' Grimm said. To demonstrate, he asked a visitor to grasp a piece of paper between thumb and forefinger. He then took the paper into the fingerprint section's work room, which was littered with towels spattered with black fingerprint powder. read more