The Ultimate Guide to Fingerprint Patterns & How to Analyze Them

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Plus, private investigator Carl Clatterbuck shares how fingerprints can be used to identify someone

Co-authored by Carl Clatterbuck and Sophie Burkholder, BA

Last Updated: December 30, 2025 Fact Checked

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Fingerprint Types

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Personality Typing

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Understanding Fingerprint Analysis

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What are fingerprints?

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Why do we have them?

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Why are they all different?

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You might know the back of your hand, but how well do you know your fingerprints? Fingerprints are fascinating and unique parts of the human body that are totally different from human to human. They can be used for security, identification, or even to solve crimes…but what do they really look like? There are eight main types of fingerprints that belong to three wider categories: whorls, arches, and loops. We talked to private investigator Carl Clatterbuck to help us break down each of these fingerprinting types as well as how rare they are, what yours might say about your personality, how fingerprints are really analyzed, and more!

8 Fingerprint Types: At a Glance

Plain arch: Smooth, wave-like shape from one side of the finger to the other.
Tented arch: Arched shape across the finger with a sharp peak in the center.
Radial loop: A loop pattern that slopes toward the thumb.
Ulnar loop: A loop pattern that slopes toward the pinky finger.
Double loop: An S-shaped pattern made up of two loops that intertwine.
Plain whorl: A central circular or spiral pattern with a triangle on either side.
Central pocket whorl: A loop pattern with a circle or spiral whorl inside it.
Accidental: A combination of 2+ types of patterns that doesn’t fit into a category.

Section 1 of 6:

The 8 Different Types of Fingerprints

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Plain arch This simple fingerprint pattern has ridges that flow from one side of the finger to the other in a smooth, wave-like shape. While the ridges rise slightly in the center to form an arch, the arch lacks any sharp angles or curves. There are no complex shapes like loops, whorls, or triangular formations (known as deltas).^{[1]
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- How common is it? Approximately 3-4% of the world’s population has this fingerprint pattern.
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Carl Clatterbuck is a private investigator with over 40 years in the industry. He’s successfully completed thousands of cases, including high-profile criminal defense cases, missing person cases, and more.
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Tented arch Like the plain arch, a tented arch fingerprint has ridges that move from one side of the finger to the other with an arch-like peak in the middle. Unlike the plain arch, however, the tented arch’s ridges rise sharply at the center, creating a tent-like shape.^{[2]
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- How common is it? Approximately 1-2% of the world’s population has this fingerprint pattern, making it the rarest type of fingerprint.
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Radial loop The ridges on a radial loop fingerprint curve toward the thumb, which is why this pattern is named for the radius bone (which is located on the thumb side of the forearm). The ridges begin and end on the same side of the finger, but the ridges curve in the direction of the thumb before returning to their starting point.^{[3]
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- How common is it? Approximately 5-12.5% of the world’s population has this fingerprint pattern.
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Ulnar loop Like the radial loop, the ridges of an ulnar loop fingerprint start and end on the same side of the finger. Rather than flowing in the direction of the thumb, however, the ridges form a loop that flows toward the pinky (or toward the forearm’s ulna bone).^{[4]
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- How common is it? Approximately 60% of the world’s population has this fingerprint pattern, making it the most common type of fingerprint.
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Double loop The double loop is the most intricate loop type, as it features two distinct loops with their own individual centers. These two loops swirl and intertwine around each other to create an S-like shape.^{[5]
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- How common is it? Approximately 10% of the world’s population has this fingerprint pattern.
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Plain whorl A whorl is a spiral or circular pattern that forms a complete loop on the finger. The plain whorl has a central ridge that completes at least one full circle, and there are often additional ridges spiraling around this center circle. Most of the time, the plain whorl is accompanied by two deltas (or triangles) that sit on opposite sides of the circular ridge pattern.^{[6]
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- How common is it? Approximately 24-25% of the world’s population has this fingerprint pattern.
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Central pocket whorl Sometimes known as a central pocket loop (instead of a central pocket whorl), this fingerprint pattern combines loops and whorls into one design. The typical pattern features one loop with a circular or spiral whorl at its center.^{[7]
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- How common is it? Approximately 5% of the world’s population has this fingerprint pattern.
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Accidental The accidental fingerprint type is technically the rarest, but that’s only because it’s not very clearly defined (and no two are alike!). This fingerprint type can feature two or more patterns in one, often including parts of loops, whorls, and arches. We still call the tented arch the rarest type of fingerprint, since the accidental fingerprints are more like one-offs that don’t fit into any single category.^{[8]
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- How common is it? Approximately 1-5% of the world’s population has this fingerprint pattern.

Section 2 of 6:

What does your fingerprint type say about your personality?

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Loops suggest sociability, arches practicality, and whorls independence. Some people believe that your fingerprint type can reveal something about your personality—this is due to a pseudoscience called dermatoglyphics. While dermatoglyphics is not backed by science, it can still be fun! If we consider the three main categories of fingerprint types, loops are associated with sociability, adaptability, and sensitivity. Whorls, meanwhile, are said to suggest independence, creativity, and stubbornness, while arches may indicate a practical and grounded nature. Below, we’ve broken down all eight fingerprint types and what personality traits they align with:^{[9]
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- Plain arch: Introverted, hard-working, cautious, compliant, down to earth.
- Tented arch: Ambiverted, fearless, impulsive, creative.
- Radial loop: Independent, clever, critical, self-centered, rebellious.
- Ulnar loop: Gentle, observant, passive, relaxed, unmotivated.
- Double loop: Confident, successful, critical thinker, leader, ambitious.
- Plain whorl: Self-centered, competitive, goal-oriented, rigorous, independent.
- Central pocket whorl: Creative, independent, perfectionist, practical.
- Accidental: Unique, expressive, impulsive, inconsiderate.

Section 3 of 6:

How does fingerprint analysis work?

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Fingerprint analysts preserve latent prints for comparison. Fingerprint analysis is largely used by forensic scientists to investigate crime scenes, although fingerprints can also be used for security or biometric reasons. Private investigator Carl Clatterbuck says that fingerprints “are an incredibly reliable tool for [identifying] humans. Each person has a unique set of prints, unlike anyone else’s. Even twins have unique fingerprints.”^{[10]
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- In general, crime scene fingerprint analysts will preserve a print that’s been left behind by either dusting it with fine powders, heating a vapor that will bond to the print, or saturating it with a chemical to create a colored print.
- “Just having someone’s fingerprints will not lead to an identification,” says Clatterbuck. “[Their] fingerprints must be found on an item. Flat glass and metal surfaces reveal fingerprints extremely well.”^{[11]
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- “To get good samples is a bit of an art,” Clatterbuck adds. “In order for the fingerprint to be compared to known fingerprints…the print must be of high quality with no smudging or gaps. If these prints aren’t perfect, they are referred to as ‘partials,’ and the examiner cannot be as certain when comparing these samples.”^{[12]
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Carl Clatterbuck
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Carl Clatterbuck is a private investigator based in Michigan. With nearly 40 years in the industry, Carl is known for providing premier private detective services for law firms, businesses, corporations, and individuals throughout the US and around the world. The Carl H. Clatterbuck Agency has successfully completed thousands of cases, specializing in high-profile criminal defense cases helping to resolve cases involving multiple homicides, missing persons, white-collar crimes, and more. His cases have both state-wide and national significance. Carl is a nationally published writer and has worked as an editor and a reference librarian. Carl has experience teaching at both high school and college level, most recently teaching a series in the techniques of interviewing and investigation. His professional practices have also qualified him to give testimony as an expert witness in numerous jurisdictions. He has a degree in English from the University of Michigan and an MFA from the University of Montana.

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Most modern agencies use print readers instead of ink. Print readers save the print digitally, which is far less messy than the blank ink used in the past.
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The analyst then compares the sample to fingerprint databases. The analyst starts by examining the large details of the print—is it a loop, an arch, or a whorl? “There are roughly eight aspects of a print that a trained examiner will compare to get a match,” says Clatterbuck.^{[13]
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Expert Interview} If needed, the fingerprint can be brought to a lab to examine its finer details and minutiae. The analyst will compare specific features of the preserved fingerprint—such as its ridge pattern endings, splits, or other unique shapes—to a known or collected fingerprint.
- The fingerprint sample is compared to fingerprint databases to try to find a match. “No matter how good the sample is, you have to have a known sample to compare it to to get an identification,” says Clatterbuck.^{[14]
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- “If you are ever arrested for a crime, one of the first things law enforcement does is get your fingerprints,” Clatterbuck says. He says that those fingerprints, plus any other fingerprints on file, are “fed into databases that are used to compare located fingerprints.”
- Clatterbuck adds, “There are many databases maintained by the states and federal government. Certain occupations require fingerprints: doctors, nurses, gun owners, [and] various license holders, such as pharmacists, private detectives, psychologists, and many others.”^{[15]
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- If an analyst finds that enough points of minutiae match between their preserved fingerprint and a print that’s been provided to them by a known individual, they can conclude that the preserved fingerprint came from that same individual.

Section 4 of 6:

What are fingerprints?

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Fingerprints are the impressions left by the ridges on a finger. The friction ridges on the pads of a finger or thumb can leave behind a unique impression on any surfaces that they touch. The sweat and oils on a finger can transfer to any given surface, leaving behind a distinctive print. No two people have the same fingerprint—not even identical twins!^{[16]
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- There are three main types of fingerprints—arches, whorls, and loops—that are further broken down into 8 sub-categories.
- Fingerprints are used extensively by law enforcement and other agencies in order to identify a specific individual. They are a key instrument in forensic science, and they’re also used for security and authentication purposes.

Section 5 of 6:

Why do we have fingerprints?

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While we don’t know exactly why humans have fingerprints, most scientists believe that they help to enhance our sense of touch and improve our grip on other objects. Theories posit that our fingerprints, when touched to different textures, create vibrations that help us distinguish one texture or surface from another. It’s also claimed that our ridged fingers encourage water to flow away from wet surfaces to improve our grip on slippery objects. They may also prevent blisters y making our skin more elastic.^{[17]
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Section 6 of 6:

Why is every fingerprint different?

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Fingerprints vary due to environmental and genetic factors during fetal development. Our fingerprints develop while we’re in the womb, and this development can begin just 6 weeks after conception. These ridges that make up our fingerprints are formed by skin and sweat pores on our fingers, and these ridges form based on where the nerve endings on your fingers are positioned.^{[18]
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Research source} The way that the ridges grow is influenced by the way you move in the womb, as well as the growth rate, blood pressure, hormone levels, umbilical cord length, amniotic fluid density and other environmental factors.^{[19]
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- Plus, genetics play a big part as well. Since genes provide the basic blueprint, so to speak, for your skin’s layers and ridges, which will then influence how the fingerprint ridges grow and form together.
- However, identical twins grown in the same womb with identical DNA still don’t have identical fingerprints. That’s because some of this is just up to random chance—the exact rate of skin growth and cell collision in the fingertips is somewhat random, helping to create unique patterns from person to person.