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Everything you need to successfully convert your fingerprint cards

Getting Started

What You'll Need

  • Completed FD-258 fingerprint card(s)
  • Flatbed scanner OR smartphone with good camera
  • Lightning wallet for $10 payment
  • 10 minutes of your time

Before You Start

Make sure your FD-258 card is:

  • Completed: All 10 fingerprints inked (or marked as unavailable)
  • Clean: No smudges, coffee stains, or tears
  • Filled in: Name, DOB, and other biographical fields (can add during conversion if needed)
Tip: If you haven't done your fingerprints yet, get cards from your local police department, UPS Store, or purchase blank FD-258 cards online with an ink pad. See our FD-258 Guide for detailed instructions.

Scanning Your Fingerprint Card

Using a Flatbed Scanner (Recommended)

  1. Clean the scanner glass

    Wipe with a lint-free cloth. Dust and smudges will appear in your scan.

  2. Place card face-down

    Align the card straight against the scanner edges. The fingerprint side goes against the glass.

  3. Set resolution to 600 DPI

    This is in your scanner settings. 500 DPI minimum, 600 DPI is ideal. Don't go above 1200 DPI—larger files with no quality benefit.

  4. Scan in color or grayscale

    Either works. Color gives slightly better results for cards with light ink.

  5. Save as JPG, PNG, or TIFF

    JPG is fine for most cases. PNG if you want lossless quality.

Common Scanner Settings:
Resolution: 600 DPI
Color Mode: Color or Grayscale
Format: JPEG (quality 90+) or PNG
Size: Will be approximately 3-5 MB

Using a Smartphone Camera

Phone cameras work but require more care:

  1. Good lighting is critical

    Use natural daylight near a window, or bright overhead lights. Avoid shadows across the card.

  2. Shoot straight down

    Hold phone directly above the card, parallel to the surface. No angle. Use a tripod or stack of books if needed.

  3. Fill the frame

    The card should fill most of the image. A little margin is fine, but don't include lots of background.

  4. Keep it flat

    Place card on a flat surface. Any curve or bend will blur some fingerprints.

  5. Check focus

    Tap on the fingerprint area to focus there. Zoom in on the photo to verify prints are sharp.

  6. Use highest resolution

    Set camera to maximum quality/resolution in settings.

Common phone photo problems:
  • Glare from overhead lights reflecting off ink
  • Shadows from your hand/phone
  • Blurry edges from camera angle
  • Low resolution from zooming digitally

Quick Quality Check

Before uploading, open your scan/photo and zoom to 100%:

  • Can you see individual ridge lines in the fingerprints?
  • Are all 10 print boxes clearly visible?
  • Is the text readable (name, date fields)?
  • Are there any shadows covering prints?

If any answer is "no," re-scan or retake the photo.

Converting Your Card

Step 1: Upload Your Scan

  1. Go to the main page and click the upload area or drag your file onto it
  2. Wait for the upload to complete (progress bar will show)
  3. Large files may take 30-60 seconds on slow connections
Accepted formats: JPG, PNG, TIFF, HEIC (iPhone)
Max file size: 12 MB

Step 2: Verify Fingerprint Detection

SlapEFT automatically detects the fingerprint areas. You'll see boxes overlaid on your card image.

If detection looks correct: Click "Confirm" to proceed.

If a box is misaligned:

  1. Click on the incorrect box
  2. Drag the corners to resize
  3. Drag the center to reposition
  4. Make sure the entire fingerprint is inside the box
Common detection issues:
  • Card rotated: Use the rotate button to orient correctly
  • Boxes on wrong prints: Manually drag to correct positions
  • Missing detection: Very faint prints may not auto-detect—draw boxes manually

Step 3: Enter Biographical Data

Review and complete the biographical fields. Some may auto-fill if your card text was readable.

Field Required? Notes
Full Name Yes As it appears on your ID
Date of Birth Yes MM/DD/YYYY format
Place of Birth Yes City and State, or Country if foreign
Sex Yes Male or Female
Race Yes Per ATF categories
Height Yes Feet and inches (e.g., 5'10")
Weight Yes In pounds
Eye Color Yes Standard colors (BRN, BLU, GRN, etc.)
Hair Color Yes Standard colors (BRN, BLK, BLD, etc.)
SSN Optional ATF may request if not provided
Address Recommended Current mailing address

Step 4: Generate & Download

  1. Click "Generate EFT File"
  2. Processing takes 10-30 seconds
  3. Click "Download" to save your .eft file
  4. Keep your access code safe—you can re-download anytime within 7 days
Your EFT file is ready!

Upload it to ATF eForms when prompted for fingerprints on your Form 1 or Form 4.

Editing Existing EFT Files

When to Edit

You might need to edit an EFT file if:

  • You need to fix a typo in your name or address
  • You moved and need to update your address
  • A field was entered incorrectly
  • You want to verify the contents before submission

How to Edit

  1. Go to the EFT Editor
  2. Upload your .eft file
  3. View the current data and fingerprints
  4. Click any text field to edit
  5. Generate a new EFT file with your changes
Note: Fingerprint images cannot be edited—only the text/biographical fields. If you need to redo fingerprints, you'll need to scan a new card.

Troubleshooting

Upload Problems

"File type not supported"

Solution: Save your file as JPG or PNG. If it's a PDF, convert it to an image format first.

"File too large"

Solution: Re-scan at 600 DPI instead of 1200 DPI, or save as JPG instead of TIFF/PNG. Aim for under 10 MB.

Upload stuck / never completes

Solution: Check your internet connection. Try a smaller file. Try a different browser. Disable VPN if using one.

Detection Problems

Fingerprints not detected

Solution: Your scan may be too faint or low resolution. Try re-scanning at 600 DPI with good contrast. You can also manually draw detection boxes.

Boxes in wrong positions

Solution: Click and drag to reposition. Use corner handles to resize. Make sure the entire print is inside each box.

Image appears rotated

Solution: Use the rotate buttons to orient the card correctly before confirming detection.

Generation Problems

"Generation failed" error

Solution: Wait a moment and try again. If persistent, contact support with any error message shown.

Download doesn't start

Solution: Check browser popup blocker. Try right-click → Save Link As. Try different browser.

ATF eForms Problems

eForms won't accept my file

Solution: Make sure you're uploading the .eft file (not the original scan). Check the file isn't corrupted by opening it in our EFT editor first.

"Invalid file format" on eForms

Solution: This is rare with SlapEFT files. Try re-generating the file. If it continues, contact support with your file attached.

Still Need Help?

Real person, real responses. No ticket system, no chatbots.

Include in your email:

  • What you were trying to do
  • Any error message shown
  • Your browser and device type
  • Attach your scan file if relevant
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