Fingerprints are unique patterns on human fingers made up of ridges and furrows. There are three main fingerprint patterns: arches, loops, and whorls. Arches have continuous ridges running across the finger with no pattern area. Loops make a single curve and account for 60% of patterns. Whorls form circular patterns like whirlpools and make up 35% of patterns.

2. INTRODUCTION
• Fingerprints are unique patterns, made by friction ridges
(raised) and furrows (recessed), which appear on the
pads of the fingers and thumbs.
• Prints from palms, toes and feet are also unique;
however, these are used less often for identification, so
this guide focuses on prints from the fingers and thumbs.

3. IMPORTANT TERMINOLOGIES
• Pattern area is a part of a loop or a whorl where appears the core,
deltas and ridges that are primarily responsible for classifying
fingerprints. It exists in all patterns but in most arches, it is indefinable.
• Type lines enclose the pattern areas of loops and whorls.
• Delta is formed when a ridge bifurcates and two arms of the bifurcating
ridge diverge or when two adjacent ridges running side by side diverge
causing an interspace within which the pattern lies. Core is the central
point of the pattern.
• The core is approximately the center of the finger impression

4. FINGERPRINTS
ARCH
a. Plain arch
b. Tented arch
LOOP
a. Ulnar
b. Radial
WHORLS
a. Simple
b. Central pocket
c. Double loop

5. ARCHES
• In arches, the ridges of the finger run continuous from one side of the finger to
the other with no re-curving. It is imperative to state that the Arches show
absence of the any above-discussed patterns i.e. Type Lines, Deltas or Cores.
• It include plain arches and tented arches.
• Simple arches create a wave-like pattern
• Tented arches rise to a sharper point than plain arches.
• Arches make up about five percent of all pattern types.

6. LOOPS
• Loops prints that recurve back on themselves to form a loop shape.
• Divided into radial loops (pointing toward the radius bone, or thumb) and
ulnar loops (pointing toward the ulna bone, or pinky).
• Loops account for approximately 60 percent of pattern types.
• One delta present.

7. WHORLS
• Whorls form circular or spiral patterns, like tiny
whirlpools.
• There are four groups of whorls: plain (concentric
circles), central pocket loop (a loop with a whorl at the
end), double loop (two loops that create an S-like
pattern) and accidental loop (irregular shaped).
• Whorls make up about 35 percent of pattern types.
• 2 deltas present