Dr. Mark Nan Tu

I recently signed a rental contract. Besides signing with my signature, I was asked to inprint my finger print.

Finger print as a signature has a long history in China. In ancient times, many people are illiterate and thus unable to the sign their names. The finger print becomes the replacement for signature. In Chinese, there is a word called QianZi HuaYa. It means sign with your finger print (rather than your signature).

The finger print as signature was almost distinct after 1949. Upon recently, we see a revival of using finger print to sign documents such as the real estate purchases and the leasing agreements. The finger print signature offers better identification and is easy to use (although a bit messy). Most importantly, it was a common practice in China for thousands of years.

Finger print as signature was rather rare in western world. In 1882, Gilbert Thompson of the U.S. Geological Survey in New Mexico, used his own thumb print on a document to prevent forgery. This is the first known use of fingerprints in the United States. However, usingfigure print as a replacement of signature has never been popular in the western countries.

The finger print does offer more security than the signature. The signatures are easily forged .However, the finger print is unique for each person. Through trained eyes, the finger print offers more security than the signature.

The finger print as an identification has been used in many security products. I use the technology daily as my Lenove (IBM) notebook computer and our office all use finger print lock system.