This will be a two part article. Fortunately if you know some image manipulation tips and understand how to get the most from your scanner, you can take artwork that is garbage and output a fairly respectable image.
Scanners are one of the most misunderstood and poorly used parts of the computer.
Everyone thinks that you just plug it in, put in the artwork and do a scan. This part of the article will detail the steps necessary to produce the best quality scan from your scanner. It will cover the basics of scanners, scan resolutions, types and size of artwork and more. These are called drum scanners. This is a lens and mirror optical system that passes by the artwork.