The fingerprints of the subject's left thumb were recorded by pressing and rolling on paper and then inputted into the computer using an image scanner. These two fingerprint images were then overlapped on the computer screen and fitted well. In a second test, a latent fingerprint was matched to a defendant's fingerprint, using the same technique; in this case, it was determined that the fingerprints were not derived from the same person. The latent fingerprint was then reversed on the computer screen and again compared to the latent print, but they still did not match. Future hardware and software improvements will enhance the usefulness of personal computers in identifying fingerprints. 10 figures and 10 references