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Use Crystal Violet to develop latent
fingerprints on the adhesive side of almost any kind of tape, e.g., Scotch,
electrical, Kraft, etc. Mix the powder in water, soak the tape in the
solution and rinse with running tap water. The caution about working with
Crystal Violet powder or solution is that it is a very messy dye and will
stain skin, clothes, floors and counter tops. It may be very difficult, if
not impossible, to remove the stains from some clothing, furniture and floor
covering. Crystal Violet is also often used as a "theft detection powder."
The item is first VERY lightly dusted with the powder and when the item
comes into contact with moisture (for example, the thief's hands), it turns
dark purple and stains anything that comes into contact with it. However,
this use is NOT suggested due to the messy nature of the product and the
fact that the stains DO NOT come out of most surfaces.
Shelf-life of Crystal Violet powder: indefinite. The working solution
should not be kept much longer than 3-6 months. While older solutions may
continue to work, the results might not be as good. |
