Application of Hertzberg stain in the identification and differentiation of polyvinyl acetate-based forged fingerprints

Criminals generally try to mislead investigators by using forged fingerprints to conceal their identity. Forged fingerprints developed using artificial sweat make the task of establishing their true identity difficult. The present study was conducted to analyse the efficacy of the Hertzberg stain technique for detecting and differ-entiating polyvinyl acetate-based forged fingerprints. The utility of the Hertzberg stain was analysed for forged fingerprint detection in combination with con-ventional methods on porous and non-porous surfaces. The results indicate that the Hertzberg stain technique effectively differentiates real and forged fingerprints.