Why Law Enforcement Agencies Choose Pre-Inked Fingerprint Strips Over Ink Pads

When a police department or sheriff's office plans a child ID fingerprinting event, one of the first decisions is what kind of ink to use. For decades, the default was a traditional ink pad. Today, most law enforcement agencies have switched to pre-inked fingerprint strips — and for good reason.

Traditional Ink Pads: The Old Standard

Ink pads have been used for fingerprinting since the early days of law enforcement. They work — but they come with real drawbacks for community events: mess that's difficult to remove from skin and clothing, setup time that slows everything down, inconsistent results depending on ink saturation, and cleanup required after the event.

Pre-Inked Fingerprint Strips: The Modern Choice

Pre-inked strips were developed specifically for high-volume community fingerprinting events. Each strip is individually sealed with a precise amount of ink — enough for one clean print, every time.

No mess: the ink transfers cleanly to the fingerprint card and wipes off skin easily. No setup: peel the strip, press, roll, lift — the entire process takes seconds. Consistent results: because each strip contains a measured amount of ink, prints are consistently clear and legible regardless of which officer is taking them or how busy the event is.

Our strips are ASTM D-4236 certified non-toxic, making them safe for use with children of all ages. Each strip stays fresh until opened, so you can order in bulk and store them without worrying about the ink drying out.

The Numbers: Cost and Coverage

A case of 2,400 pre-inked fingerprint strips from Protect Your Child costs $330 with free shipping. That works out to less than 14 cents per strip. At ten prints per child, one case covers approximately 240 children. At four prints per child, one case covers 600 children. Purchase orders are accepted for police departments, sheriff's offices, school districts, and other government agencies.

What Law Enforcement Agencies Say

Departments that have switched from ink pads to pre-inked strips consistently report the same benefits: faster throughput, cleaner events, and better print quality. Officers spend less time managing supplies and more time engaging with the community.

The Bottom Line

For community child ID events, pre-inked fingerprint strips are the clear choice over traditional ink pads. They're faster, cleaner, more consistent, and safer for children. Protect Your Child has been supplying law enforcement agencies with professional-grade fingerprinting supplies since 1994. Our strips are trusted by police departments and sheriff's offices nationwide.