The ANSI/NIST-ITL standard update for 2011 (data format for the interchange of fingerprint, facial and other biometric information)

This article describes the ANSI/NIST-ITL standard: its origin, contents, and how it is used and updated. It is the principal standard used for the formatting and encoding of biometric data and related textual information for law enforcement, homeland security, and military applications throughout the world. The first version of the standard appeared in 1986, and it has been updated several times since then. The most recent update was a major revision, with final publication in November 2011. This version is titled ANSI/NIST-ITL 1-2011, NIST Special Publication 500-290.