How to Fake Fingerprints

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In order to fake a fingerprint, one needs an original first. For most home experimenters, this starts by pressing a finger into a piece of putty. Latent fingerprints, or the invisible residue left by fingers, can be used to create a fake fingerprint, but this takes significantly more effort and equipment.

Method 1
Method 1 of 2:

Using Putty and Gelatin

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  1. Putty, Play-doh, or modeling clay are all good options, as long as they are clean and new. Roll a small piece of your chosen material into a ball, and press the finger you wish to imitate into the putty. [1]
    • A hot, flattened piece of paraffin wax will leave a better impression, but only after five or ten minutes of pressing.
  2. This will keep the impression of the fingerprint as hard as possible while you work with it. Different materials and brands will react differently to cold, and may not be usable as putty afterward — but that's fine for this purpose.
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  3. Boil a small pot of water, then add an equal amount of gelatin powder by volume. [2] Stir constantly for several minutes, dissolving as much of the powder as you can. Let the mixture cool.
  4. Once the gelatin has cooled to a thick gel, melt it in the microwave, then let cool to a gel again. Microwave repeatedly until the gelatin has no bubbles, and when a drop acts thick and rubbery. [3]
  5. Once the gelatin is rubbery and bubble-free, melt it one final time, then pour the hot, liquid gelatin into the fingerprint mold you made from putty.
  6. Put the putty and gelatin into the freezer. Within a few minutes, the gelatin should harden into a solid, rubbery substance. Peel the gelatin carefully off the putty. You now have a fake fingertip, with the impression of a real fingerprint marked on the surface.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 2:

Using Advanced Techniques

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  1. This method can make a much more accurate fingerprint, and does not require an impression in putty, but it requires specialized equipment. Do not attempt this unless you have access to these tools, including a high-quality scanner or camera, and a printed circuit board (PCB). An overhead transparency can be used instead of the PCB, but this is less effective. [4]
  2. Dust to find fingerprints . This method can create a fake fingerprint from nothing more than a fingerprint left on a touchscreen, a doorknob, or another dry, glossy surface. To locate these, you can dust a surface with crushed, powdered graphite from mechanical pencil lead, or use a fingerprinting kit with a black powder.
    • A white surface will work best with this method.
  3. For best results, photograph or scan the fingerprint with a quality of at least 2400 dpi. [5] Load the resulting image into a computer with photo editing software.
  4. Use the photo editing software to "flip" the image from left to right, creating its mirror image. Reverse the color of the image as well, so the raised fingerprint is white and the background of the image is black. [6]
  5. For best results, print out your fingerprint onto tracing paper, then use a UV etching machine to transfer the fingerprint onto a printed circuit board (PCB). [7] If you do not have access to these materials, you can try the less effective method of printing out the fingerprint directly onto an overhead transparency sheet.
  6. The fingerprint image on the PCB or overhead transparency is actually slightly raised, and can be used to make a fake fingertip. To do this, cover the image with graphite powder, then smear it with a thin layer of white wood glue or light-colored latex milk. [8]
    • A small dash of glycerin in the wood glue will make it slightly more moist and workable, creating a more effective material.
  7. Once the wood glue has dried, carefully peel it off the surface beneath and take a look at your new fingerprint. You can even trim this to fingertip size, then use theatrical glue to attach it to your own finger.
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  • Question
    Is this illegal?
    Community Answer
    No, this is not illegal.
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  • Question
    I want to host a murder mystery activity for my family and I have images of fingerprints, but how do I put them on surfaces?
    Sara
    Community Answer
    Cut them out and stick them onto furniture or whereve you want to put them.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
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    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
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      • The mark on the piece of putty can't be used directly, since the fingerprint will be a mirror image of the actual finger.
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      References

      1. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/shorts/oXNhj_-SQgg
      2. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUkbaswGHek
      3. ↑ http://cryptome.org/gummy.htm
      4. ↑ http://www.ccc.de/en/updates/2013/ccc-breaks-apple-touchid
      5. ↑ http://www.ccc.de/en/updates/2013/ccc-breaks-apple-touchid
      6. ↑ https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Reconstructed-fingerprint-image-a-fingerprint-printed-on-the-PCB-b-fake-silicon_fig2_220929526
      7. ↑ https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Reconstructed-fingerprint-image-a-fingerprint-printed-on-the-PCB-b-fake-silicon_fig2_220929526
      8. ↑ https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Reconstructed-fingerprint-image-a-fingerprint-printed-on-the-PCB-b-fake-silicon_fig2_220929526

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      If you want to make fake fingerprints, start by pressing your finger into a putty-like material, like play-doh or modeling clay. For a better impression, use a flattened piece of paraffin wax and press into it for 5 to 10 minutes. Once you have a clear fingerprint in the putty, place it in the refrigerator or freezer to get the material as hard as possible. As the putty hardens, boil a small pot of water and add an equal amount of gelatin powder by volume. Stir until the gelatin dissolves before letting the mixture cool. To get the bubbles out of your gelatin, alternate microwaving and cooling it until it becomes thick and rubbery. Then, pour the gelatin into the mold and freeze the putty again to form a fake fingertip you can use to make fake fingerprints. For more help, like how to copy fingerprints you found on a doorknob, scroll down.

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