The document provides information about fingerprint patterns, including definitions and illustrations of loop patterns. It defines the key aspects of a loop pattern, including the sufficient recurve, delta, ridge count, direction of flow, and frequency of ulnar versus radial loops. Loops are the most common fingerprint pattern, accounting for approximately 65% of all fingerprints. The document aims to educate about the classification and identification of loop fingerprint patterns.

2. FBI MISSION
STATEMENT
The mission of the FBI is to protect
and defend the United States
against terrorist and foreign
intelligence threats, to uphold and
enforce the criminal laws of the
United States, and to provide
leadership and criminal justice
services to federal, state,
municipal, and international
agencies and partners.

3. CJIS MISSION
STATEMENT
Reduce terrorist and criminal activities
by maximizing the ability to provide
timely and relevant criminal justice
information to the FBI and to qualified
law enforcement, criminal justice,
civilian, academic, employment, and
licensing agencies concerning
individuals, stolen property, criminal
organizations and activities, and other
law enforcement related data.

4. CJIS DIVISION

5. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FINGERPRINT PATTERN
RECOGNITION
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

6. Federal Bureau of Investigation
United States Department of Justice
Illustrations of Various
Fingerprint Patterns
The presence or existence of
whorls in finger impressions
is used as the basis for the
determination of the chief or
the primary classification.
Each whorl appearing in an
or all of the ten fingers has a
certain arbitrary or fixed
value. The addition of the
values represented by such
whorls and the indication of
the total value is known as
the primary classification.
Illustrations of the whorl
types which are shown on
the right of this chart.
Illustrations of the other
types are shown on the left.
PLAIN ARCH
TENTED ARCH
RADIAL LOOP
ULNAR LOOP
PLAIN WHORL
CENTRAL POCKET
DOUBLE LOOP
ACCIDENTAL

7. FINGERPRINT PATTERN
FREQUENCY
Loops
65%
Whorls
30%
Arches
5%

13. LOOP
Definition: A LOOP is that type of pattern in which one
or more ridges enter upon either side, recurve, touch or
pass an imaginary line between delta and core and pass
out or tend to pass out upon the same side the ridge
entered.

14. FLOW OF RIDGES
ULNAR LOOP ULNAR LOOP RADIAL LOOP
THE ABOVE PATTERNS SHOW THE DIRECTION
RIDGES FLOW IF LOCATED IN THE RIGHT HAND.

15. RADIAL LOOP ULNAR LOOP RADIAL LOOP
FLOW OF RIDGES
THE ABOVE PATTERNS SHOW THE DIRECTION
RIDGES FLOW IF LOCATED IN THE RIGHT HAND.

16. 1. Sufficient Recurve
2. Delta
3. Ridge Count - Across a looping ridge
THREE BASIC REQUIREMENTS OF A LOOP
3 COUNT LOOP
CORE
SUFFICIENT
RECURVE
DELTA

17. SUFFICIENT RECURVE
A SUFFICIENT RECURVE consists of the space between the
shoulders of a loop free of any appendages which abut
upon it at a right angle on the outside of the recurve.
1.
2. 3. 4. 5.
6.
8.
7.
S S
S
S
S
S
S S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
Shoulders

18. SUFFICIENT RECURVE
THE SHOULDERS OF A LOOP are the
points at which the recurving ridge
definitely turns inward or curves.
S S
S
S S
S
9.
10. 11.

19. APPENDAGE
Attachment or Connection
An appendage striking the outside of the recurve
at a right angle will spoil that recurve.

20. LOOP PATTERN AREA
PATTERN AREA includes the CORE, DELTA, and RIDGES
which are used in the classification of a loop.
T
T
PATTERN
AREA

21. TYPELINES
T
T
T
T

22. Definition: The two innermost ridges that are parallel
and surround or tend to surround the pattern area.
T
T
T
T
TYPELINES

23. DELTA
THE DELTA IS THAT POINT ON A RIDGE AT OR
NEAREST THE POINT OF DIVERGENCE OF TWO
TYPELINES, AND LOCATED AT OR DIRECTLY IN
FRONT OF THE POINT OF DIVERGENCE.
Area to be considered in front of the
point of divergence of two
typelines.

24. DOT
BIFURCATION
MEETING
OF TWO
RIDGES
SHORT
RIDGE
RECURVING
RIDGE
ENDING
RIDGE
DELTAS

25. CORE
THE APPROXIMATE CENTER OF THE PATTERN
PLACED UPON OR WITHIN THE INNERMOST
SUFFICIENT RECURVE.
LOCATED ON THE SHOULDERS OF THE INNERMOST
LOOP FARTHEST FROM THE DELTA.
CORE CORE CORE CORE

26. LOCATED ON THE SPIKE OR ROD IN THE
CENTER OF THE INNERMOST RECURVE,
PROVIDED THE SPIKE OR ROD RISES AS
HIGH AS THE SHOULDERS.
CORE CORE CORE CORE
CORE

27. RIDGE COUNTING
1 - Count 2 - Counts 3 -
Counts
1 1 2 2 1 2 2 2 2 1

28. 04 - COUNTS
C
D
04
RIDGE COUNTING

29. C
D
02
RIDGE COUNTING
02 - COUNTS

30. C
D
RIDGE COUNTING
17 - COUNTS

31. D
C
D
03
C
03
D
C
D
02
C
D
03
C
D
01
D
C
02

32. D
C
D
C
03 02
C
D
04
C
D
02
C
D
01
C
D
01

33. D
C
D
C
D
C
D
C
D
C
D
02 02 01
01 01 TT
C

34. LOOP
12 COUNTS
C
D

35. C
D
LOOP
06 COUNTS

36. D
C
LOOP
02 COUNTS

37. C
D
LOOP
07 COUNTS

38. D
C
LOOP
16 COUNTS

39. C
D
LOOP
23 COUNTS

40. D
C
LOOP
14 COUNTS

41. D
C
LOOP
02 COUNTS

42. D
C
LOOP
13 COUNTS

43. D
C
LOOP
10 COUNTS

44. D
C
LOOP
17 COUNTS

45. D
C
LOOP
10 COUNTS

46. D
C
LOOP
15 COUNTS

47. D
C
LOOP
14 COUNTS

48. D
C
LOOP
05 COUNTS

49. D
C
LOOP
15 COUNTS

50. D
C
LOOP
22 COUNTS

51. D
C
LOOP
03 COUNTS

52. D
C
LOOP
14 COUNTS

53. D
C
LOOP
10 COUNTS
Join the two loops as one.

54. ULNAR LOOP
Ulnar Loops flow toward the little finger.
03 01 02 03 03
03
03 02
03
02
The direction of flow applies to the finger on the hand,
not as they appear on the fingerprint card.

55. RADIAL LOOP
Radial Loops flow toward the thumb.
03 52 03 53
01
55 01 53 01 01
The direction of flow applies to the fingers on the hand,
not as they appear on the fingerprint card.

56. NOTE:
RADIUS
RIGHT HAND
ULNA
When a loop enters
and exits from the
THUMB side of the
hand, the pattern
will always be a
“Radial Loop.”
When a loop enters
and exits from the
PINKY finger, the
pattern will always
be an “Ulnar Loop.”
There are NO
exceptions to this
rule!

57. LOOP FREQUENCY
ULNAR
94%
RADIAL
6%

58. Questions?