The article outlines application and use of AFIS and describes the method whereby AFIS matches palm prints of convicted criminals with latent palm marks recovered from crime scenes. The AFIS procedure involves seven main steps: (1) Entry of Textual Data, either manually via keyboard/mouse or via automatic barcode reader or both; (2) Capture of Images, either by a digital camera device or by high resolution scanner; (3) Encoding of Images, which are either rolled, inked impressions of fingers, thumbs or palms and/or lifted latent marks recovered from crime scenes; (4) Editing and Quality Control, a manual operation; (5) Launching the Search, ten-print/ten-print, latent mark/ten-print, ten-print/latent mark, or latent mark/latent mark; (6) Verification of Results, done by the user; no currently available AFIS can report that a match has been achieved; and (7) Validation of Case. Notes, table, figures, references