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Guaranteed New York Fingerprinting Service

Kenneth A. Edelstein provides NYC Fingerprinting Services throughout the New York, NYC and Manhattan Area to individuals and businesses needing New York Fingerprinting on an appointment basis.  I go, with a weighty kit (it weighs exactly 30 pounds!) of equipment, to your location (home or office) at a time (day or night) of your convenience. I specialize in Manhattan Fingerprinting, but am available for NYC fingerprinting and NY fingerprinting - statewide. Being retired; I really am available 24x7, by appointment.

I take great pride in my New York fingerprinting skills and equipment. You can have confidence knowing I have processed many NYC fingerprinting assignments, with a near zero (about 2%, the same as "live scan" computer based systems) reject rate. I have taken fingerprints for FBI clearances, Immigration, Brokerage Licenses, Alcohol & Tobacco Licenses, etc. The high rejection rate of inkpad NY fingerprinting can cause unnecessary delays in licensing, immigration, etc. Call me to avoid repeated expenses and wasted time due to unskilled NYC fingerprinting services, and/or improper equipment. My Manhattan Fingerprinting coverage often responds within the hour. I use the most comprehensive "kit" of sophisticated and technologically advanced equipment available and approved for use in New York, including:

• PrePrint Wipes to prepare the fingers for inking

• Professional folding fingerprint card holder

• Portable fingerprinting station to position card holder at correct height

• "ReDo" tabs for retaking a single fingerprint

• "Shallow Ridge" enhancement wipes - for people with "faint", hard to print fingertips

• Ample stock of both FINRA (front / back) (formerly NASD) and Civilian blank fingerprinting cards (front / back)

• Waterless ink removal wipes that leave hands spotless

• Large and small Notary Stamps & Embosser for notarizations

• National Notary Association Receipts & blank invoices

• Most fingerprinting is done with a specialized inkpad; however, some persons have very "shallow" finger ridges - requiring the older "ink, roller and slab" method. The latter allows a very thin layer of ink to be transferred to the finger - producing a superior impression - it's an additional tool - to do a perfect job.

I have many satisfied customers calling me often: 

• Financial Service Companies in NY, NYC and Manhattan
• Immigration Support Professionals
• FBI clearance
• Legal Professionals
• Individuals needing license clearance for Liquor, Gaming, Investment, Security Services

Fingerprinting tips for successful prints:

• Wash hands with hot, soapy water and rinse thoroughly removing all soap
• Dry hands completely and use "PrePrint" wipes prior to inking
• Prints should be taken in a cool room to avoid hands sweating
• Have proper photo ID ready, the same as required for Notarizations
• Relax, let me guide your fingers, don't press down
• Fill out print card using BLACK ink, printing neatly, leave areas you are not sure of blank
• Card requires middle Name - not middle initial.

My New York, NYC and Manhattan Fingerprinting prices are both fair and competitive, I am very confident that the fingerprints that I take will be acceptable. Some folks literally "have no fingerprints" for them an Affidavit of "best obtainable" is processed. My fingerprinting service will help you obtain your FBI clearance, Business License, or Immigration approval; quickly and efficiently.

Accordingly; it is my policy to redo at no charge or refund (Your Choice) any print card that is rejected due to fingerprint quality. Yes, totally free - no "trip fee" or other hidden charges. Obviously, with a guarantee of this type it is almost as important to me as it is to you to do it right the first time!

The two basic techniques of taking fingerprints.

• Traditional Ink and Paper - This is by far the most common and acceptable method for taking fingerprints. Accepted almost everywhere, this method has been the standard for decades. Print quality determined by the skill of the technician. Requires ink on fingers, but modern wipes remove all traces of the ink. Instant results, completed card can be shipped immediately.

• Live Scan - A new technology with very limited acceptance. Tremendous "start up" costs. The machine cost about ten thousand dollars and leases for over six hundred a month, with the costs passed on to clients. A Mobile Scanning machine does not produce "hardcopy" fingerprint card, but, on request, card can be printed and delivered, at additional cost, at a later date. If they have a printer.

How to check out a Fingerprinting Service

• The best way to "check out a company" is to do a Google Search on the Owner's Name. You will find such a link on the second line of my home page and here.

• Referrals are useless, it's safe to assume you will only be referred to positive references.

• A guarantee should allow for you to choose: money back or redo - you might not want the same "reject" source to try again - insist on an immediate money back option if prints are rejected.

• Is the business a Member in Good Standing of  Better Business Bureau? Chamber of Commerce?

• Does the company publish a name, address and contact number for the "top man?" Do they name the technical staff? If not, ask why not. Ask if they will respond to an emergency after hours.

• Do they limit you to "office hours" at their distant location, or will they go to your location anytime?

• Does the "About Us" page have any real "about us" information? A real "about us" has people's names, their backgrounds, their experience, etc. Or is the "about us" page just more sales hype?

• Don't be impressed by a company location or equipment - fingerprinting success (ink or scan) depends on the skill of the technician. You should interview the technician and use your instincts.

My thoughts on Live Scan Fingerprinting Technology

     I investigated the current "Guardian" as well as the older and somewhat obsolete "ID-500" (it cannot do "flat four" rapid scanning and relies heavily on the skill of the operator to roll the fingers - exactly the same as ink and paper). I determined they are best suited to a single location, sending always to the same place. The problem is that the scanning machines are limited to sending to a single destination. For example, if I purchased a "Guardian" and registered it for FINRA (brokerage use); I could not use it to send to anywhere else. But, if I carry along a computer, than the scanner could be reconfigured to send to a different location. However, the manufacturer told me that a separate PC is really required for each location that prints will be sent to! To make things worse, only FBI certified printers are allowed to print standard cards from the scanned images. Thus, to provide the same flexibility I now have with card and ink, I would need a scanner, several laptops, and a FBI approved printer. Way too much complexity for me. And, I might add in passing that I am truly a computer expert, having done PC support since the Apple was first introduced! It does make sense for XYZ Brokerage to have it to register brokers with FINRA - the brokerage clearinghouse - one machine - one target destination is when the "Live Scan" solution seems most practical.

     Unless the live scan device has already been configured to send to the destination location; your only choice, if you want live scan, is finding a service that has the ability to print on your existing card. Even then, the results are not certain as the scan, computer, FBI approved printer; in combination, will only print the fingerprints to the locations that are on standard FBI physical fingerprint cards. If your card is a bit off, the prints will not be "in the box" - and the card is flawed. Unless you verify the scanning service either is already configured for your destination location; or they have the ability to print from scan on your card (at your risk if the image is not properly "in the boxes") - it's a lot of effort and expense just to avoid a bit of ink. In view of the above, what actually happens is that most of the live scan customers are "directed" to the ink station - which I can do at your location, at your convenience, and I offer a redo/money back guarantee.

     For general purpose work, Immigration, Clearances, Licensing, Adoptions, etc - Ink, card, and a skilled technician seems the most practical approach for the time being. That will probably change, but not anytime soon. I don't use a "black box", you can see the quality of my fingerprinting with your own eyes, No network delays, no software "glitches", no super high tech prices - just what you need to submit - instantly.