Vacuum Boxes

> Model A – Shoeprints and Indented Writing

Collect all papers found on a crime scene, even if you cannot see any prints.

Place the paper from the crime scene on the vacuumbox and cover it with clear SP-film. Use the Corona unit to charge the film. Dust from the print will pass over to the film.

Photograph the film using dark field lightning. This picture shows a comparison of a print lifted with the Vacuum Box model A to a test mark made with a suspected shoe.

This method has been used for decades. Compared to traditional electrostatic dustprint lifters, labs who use the Vacuum Box Model A report higher quality lifts. Why?

– The clear film and the darkfield lighting method give higher contrast.
– There is no air gap between the plastic film and the evidence paper. The dust particles don’t travel as far and therefore more particles are able to pass over. This results in images with more information.

Many quality dustprints have come from papers that had no visible marks when viewed at the crime scene. These are quickly examined using the Vacuum Box Model A, so there is no reason to leave them at the scene.

We also offer the eDust+ dustprint lifter and Lifting Plate that can be used to lift dustprints from paper at the crime scene.

> Indented Writing

Simple and fast to operate

Much more sensitive than oblique lighting

Documents will not be damaged or contaminated

The examination will not interfere with fingerprint examination or
other forensic tests