We aren’t looking for a specific method when we are making jewelry with your fingerprint. We are looking for a perfect fingerprint. We understand that isn’t always possible so we can use however you have your fingerprint.
This is how we like to get a nice clear fingerprint.
We do recommend before you get started to wash your hands with warm water for a couple minutes! We see you covid-19! You want clean hands for a couple reasons. One would be you don’t have any chunks or particles from whatever you were doing before you decided you want to make fingerprints and two because grease on your hands will sort of resist the graphite.
Ok! Now that we have clean hands we prepare our work station! Clean off a table or desk. Again we don’t want anything that will interfere with the small friction ridges of your fingerprint. We see you, Steve with potato chip crumbs on your fingers!
You will need-
- a #2 pencil (if you don’t have a #2 use what you have it isn’t a hard fast rule it just works well.)
- copy paper
- clear tape- preferably magic tape- again any clear tape will work.
- smooth paper- we like a photo paper since it is smooth and has no grain. Any paper that doesn’t have a texture will do.
Ok lets do it!
- Using the pencil and copy paper scribble a 2 inch by two inch square on the paper. Get it good and covered with the pencil lead (graphite)
- Look at your finger and see where the swirl on your fingertip is. You want to capture the most interesting part of your fingerprint.
- Rub your finger on the graphite square on the paper. You want your finger to be visually dirty with pencil lead.
- Using a 1 inch piece of tape place the sticky side UP on your work surface. Slowly place the finger swirl part of your finger onto the tape. You don’t want to press hard just apply light pressure. It will be adhered to you. Gently peel it off.
- Carefully adhere the tape sticky side down onto your smooth paper. You should be able to see a clear fingerprint. If you don’t …. TRY AGAIN 🙂
- Write the name of the person who the fingerprint belongs to next to it on the paper.
At this point you have made a fingerprint! Yay! I recommend doing a few so there are a few choices to work with. Some fingers have more interesting fingerprints than others.
What do I do with my fingerprints?
It’s time to store your fingerprints. It is good to keep a paper copy. It’s also good to take a photo to keep on your cloud! Use your smartphone (or enlist a friend or family member that has one to do it for you)
Use the zoom feature on your phone’s camera to get in close to the fingerprint. Take a moment to tap the screen to be sure it is focus. Take the photo! Be sure to label the photo with the persons name so you will know later. If you are concerned about privacy do not add the last name on the photo or use another identifying title.
You will then have it ready to email if you wish to use it for jewelry.
