While many people may associate the process of fingerprinting with criminal acts, most people have their fingerprints taken so that a routine background check can be performed as part of a job application. In submitting their fingerprints, applicants generally have access to two different options: traditional ink fingerprinting and live scan fingerprinting. While the former has been around for decades, the latter has several advantages that should not be ignored.

Take a look below for some of the key benefits offered by any live scan fingerprinting station.

Speed of Application

As non-criminal fingerprinting processes are nearly always a part of a job application, the speed with which they are processed is no small matter. Unfortunately, choosing to undergo a traditional ink fingerprinting process means you will have to wait for the physical prints to be mailed to the relevant civil authority. When all is said and done, ink fingerprinting may cost you weeks or even months. On the other hand, live scan fingerprinting is capable of transmitting the prints in a matter of minutes. They can then be digitally analyzed in just a few days, returning the results without any significant delays.

Preventing Human Error

One of the biggest pitfalls of ink fingerprinting is the ever-present possibility that human error will render the fingerprints completely invalid. The slightest smudge or smear can mean that you wait for weeks to obtain the official results of your background check, only to learn that you have to start over from the beginning. Luckily, live scan fingerprinting technology doesn't suffer from the same disadvantages. Instead, any fingerprint that isn't clearly captured can immediately be deleted so that a new one can replace it. Ultimately, this means that live scan fingerprinting saves untold amounts of time and money when compared to ink fingerprinting.

Cleaning Up

While it may not seem like a big deal, ink fingerprinting requires quite a bit of cleaning up. While all fingerprinting stations will provide plenty of antibacterial wipes along with the standard soap and water rinse, it is not as easy as it looks to remove every bit of ink. Not being thorough when removing the ink can result in a stained shirt or ruined furniture upholstery, costing you much more to fix or replace than any fingerprinting process. Even if you have to travel farther to a live scan fingerprinting station, it is worth it for the lack of cleanup alone.

Contact a company like A-1 Fingerprinting and Drug Screening to learn more.

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