A conventional Supelco fiber holder for manual use was modified to a microthermal desorber ("microTD"). Thermal desorption is a widely used technique for extracting and isolating volatile and semivolatile compounds from various matrixes. This technique avoids the use of solvents and also the risk of contamination of the sample during its preparation. The microTD is a simple and cheap device for thermal desorption of small samples. It successfully conducted comparative analysis of inks, printing inks, and inkjet inks on paper. In addition to samples of inks on paper, the microTD successfully analyzed toners, various stains on bank notes, and lipstick stains on paper. Other small items encountered in a forensic science laboratory were also analyzed, including particles of smokeless powder, particles of coffee, and an automative clear topcoat layer. The desorbed compounds were analyzed by gas chromatography with a flame ionization detector or by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The microTD can be used in connection with any kind of gas chromatograph. By the selection of different injector temperatures, fractionated thermal desorption of samples is achieved. The microTD is not linked to any specific equipment; the analysis is performed on any kind of gas chromatograph in a manner similar to that for solid phase microextraction (SPME) analysis. 7 figures, 1 table, and 5 references