Lifting shoeprints using gelatin lifters and a hydraulic press

A method for lifting two-dimensional dust footwear marks on rough or porous surfaces, such as cardboard or cloth, using a hydraulic press, was examined. It was found that exerting pressure on the lifter by the press usually improves the quality of the results. When the shoeprints were on rough or soft surfaces, the prints transferred to the gelatin lifters were better than those obtained by the conventional method. In other cases, using the press did not improve the results but was much simpler to apply. Based on the results of this study, the hydraulic press/gelatin lifter method (the "press method") is used at the authors' laboratory, depending on the surface from which the shoeprint is to be lifted. It is the authors' intention to apply the method to other surfaces after finding the optimal pressure for surfaces with loose fibers.