Risk-free lifting - Gellifters make it possible to lift the same print multiple times without the risk of destroying it. Also, there is minimal or no risk of damaging the surface of the exhibit.

Easy to use - The flexibility of the Gellifter makes it easy to apply on any surface. The low-tack adhesive makes it easy to remove.

One product, many applications - Lift powdered fingerprints, untreated fingerprints, fingerprints developed with cyanoacrylate, fingerprints in/on latex and vinyl gloves, shoe impressions in dust, traces in blood, dye-stained finger- and shoeprints in blood, earprints, indented writing, micro traces and fibers.

Lift from virtually every surface - Porous or non-porous, flat or curved, smooth or rough: a black, white or transparent Gellifter will do the job.

No air bubbles - The thick gelatin layer of Gellifters eliminates the risk of trapping air bubbles when lifting prints from rough surfaces. This ensures a complete lift of the print, without gaps

Weak traces are clearly visualized - Even the weakest traces become clearly visible when lifted with a black Gellifter. Its jet-black color and the high-gloss finish of its gelatin layer provide the right background to visualize the weakest traces.

Sharpness and rich contrast - The jet black color of the black Gellifters and the high-gloss finish provide a perfect combination of absorption and reflection.

Used with the right illumination, it achieves a crisp image in which the print is perfectly constrasted with the background.

Quality from start to finish - High standards of quality are maintained both in the production and packaging of Gellifters. We check every single Gellifter, just before packaging, to make sure that only the best ends up with you at the crime scene.

Unlike other lifting media, BVDA Gellifters have been especially developed for the lifting of fingerprints, shoeprints, dust marks and micro traces. The thick, non-aggressive, low-tack gelatin layer allows traces to be lifted from almost every surface, including porous material such as paper and cardboard.

• Untreated fingerprints
• Fingerprints developed with:

    Powders (all types, even black)
    Cyanoacrylate
    SPR
    Powdersuspension used on the adhesive side of certain tapes

• Fingerprints in/on latex and vinyl gloves
• Old fingerprints (relifting or improving)
• Postmortem fingerprinting
• Shoeprints in dust
• Muddy shoeprints on paper
• Earprints
• Micro traces
• Indented writing

See Gellifters for fingerprints

Searching for shoeprints

Figure 1: Positioning the light source and mirror

Searching for shoeprints on dark-colored surfaces can be successful if oblique lighting is used. The shoeprints that may be present normally contrast well against a dark background. Unfortunately, this technique is rarely useful for light-colored surfaces, on which shoeprints contrast poorly or not at all.
If fingerprint powders are used to find and visualize prints, the fine details in a print may be damaged or completely obscured.
In the worse case, the shoeprints are overlooked completely.

A good technique to visualize shoeprints on lighter floors and other surfaces uses high-intensity oblique lighting and a mirror.

Image 1: Use two laser pointers to indicate the shoeprint on the floor.

Image 2: Apply the Gellifter so that the center-point of each end covers one of the laser dots.

Image 3: The shoeprint is lifted.

Step 1
Position a mirror to stand on the floor to be examined. It should not stand upright but lean backward at a slight angle (figure 1).
The angle depends on the distance between the mirror and the point from which you view the mirror. The closer you are to the mirror, the larger the angle must be. For example, if you are 6 feet from the mirror, its angle should be about 20 degrees from upright. At 12 feet, the angle is about 10 degrees.

Step 2
Use a high-intensity light to create oblique illumination (search light, ALS, or alternatively a slide projector). The path from the light-source to the mirror must be diagonal, at an angle of about 30 degrees in relation to the mirror surface (figure 1). The shoeprints, if present, are now visible in the mirror. However, your distance from the mirror and the angle of the mirror are crucial to the result. Adjust these two factors until you get an image in the mirror that approximates what you would see without the mirror if you laid your head on the floor.

Step 3
Once the traces are visible in the mirror, they can be lifted. This will require that you move toward the mirror. In doing so, you will note that the traces you just saw in the mirror will disappear. (As already mentioned, your distance from the mirror and the mirror angle are of utmost importance.) To prepare for this, use two laser pointers to indicate the shoeprint on the floor. Place one in the center of the toe of the shoe and one in the center of the heel (see image 1). Aim with the laser pointers on the floor in front of the mirror, and follow the movement of the dot while looking at the mirror.

At this point you know exactly where the print is located, and you can lift it with a black Gellifter. Holding the Gellifter by its two short ends, plan to apply it so that the center-point of each end covers one of the laser dots (see image 2). Apply one end first, then work toward the other. We recomment using a rubber roller to avoid any air bubbles.

Step 4
The shoeprint is now lifted and can be taken to the lab for photography and further examination. Image 3 shows the actual color of the floor from which the sample print was lifted.

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