What can accelerate iodine developed latent prints?

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Iodine fuming is a common method for developing latent fingerprints, as iodine vapors adhere to the lipid and fatty components present in the sweat of fingerprints, making them visible. The process can be enhanced through exposure to sunlight. When latent prints developed with iodine are treated with sunlight, the UV rays can help intensify the visualization of the prints. This happens because sunlight can aid in the sublimation process of iodine and improve the contrast between the developed print and the surface it is on, making the prints more discernible.

Other methods, such as heating or the use of chemical sprays, might not effectively enhance the iodine prints because they could potentially alter the iodine's properties or the surface being examined, disturbing the developed latent print instead of improving its visibility. Rubbing alcohol, while it can dissolve some organic compounds, might not have any beneficial effect on the iodine developed prints and could even remove or smudge them. Therefore, sunlight stands out as the most effective method for accelerating the visualization of iodine-developed latent prints.

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