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To make fingerprints easier to search against large fingerprint databases, experts categorize fingerprints into groups based on patterns in the ridges. These groupings or basic ridge patterns are not sufficient for identification in themselves, but they help narrow down the search and speed up the processing time. Once a fingerprint is identified as a particular group like a whorl, the search only continues to compare the print to all other whorl types in the database and ignores the other groupings.
There are a number of basic ridge pattern groupings which have been defined. Three of the most common are loop, arch, and whorl.
ARCH

​​The arch pattern is a more open curve than the loop. There are two types of arch patterns the plain arch and the tented arch.

WHORL

​​Whorl patterns occur in about 30% of all fingerprints and are defined by at least one ridge that makes a complete circle.

LOOP

​​The loop is the most common type of fingerprint pattern and accounts for about 65% of all fingerprints.

Basic Ridge Patterns

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