What type of evidence can "impressions" refer to?

Impressions refer to marks or patterns left by an object that has come into contact with a softer material. This can be seen with various objects, such as shoeprints or tool marks that leave an indentation in materials like mud, sand, or wax. The significance of impressions in forensic science is that they can provide critical evidence linking a suspect to a crime scene based on the specific characteristics of the object that made the impression, including size, tread design, and unique patterns.

In contrast, while bloodstains, fingerprints, and written notes can all serve as types of evidence, they do not fall under the category of "impressions." Bloodstains are analyzed for patterns and locations but do not leave an impression of the object that made them; fingerprints can be found on hard surfaces but aren’t considered impressions in the traditional forensic sense; and written notes represent information but do not involve the concept of impressions made by objects on other materials.