Scanning Guide (WIP)

Scan lines
Scanner calibration
get a scanner with a ccd lens (this usually means no all-in-one scanners -- I have a Canon 9000F)
The advertised scanner dimensions don't necessarily mean that the scans will be of the size; the active scan area will probably be about 1/4-1/2 inch less than advertised. Take this into consideration when you want to scan large books.
If scans are in Index, convert to greyscale before doing anything (if you want to crop, etc.)
AutoCrop script, works half the time (best on pages with margins or little screentone touching the edge, such as pages with white margins)
Wear gloves
no sweat = no hot lamps
clean your work area, vacuum your room if you need to
having a fan on can blow dust onto the scanner
clean glass thoroughly, dismantle if necessary
wipe down paper (dust jacket especially)
microfiber towel with high GSM to avoid scratching glass (don't use ordinary towels)
compressed air
watch something while you scan
watch out for glue on the first color page -- heat the side of the spine to melt glue, wipe it off carefully outwards, away from paper towards the edge. If you don't heat the glue first, you are guaranteed to destroy the art underneath.
You can just carefully, but firmly, pull the paper cover off. It's just stuck to the layer of glue/pulp, you shouldn't damage anything in the process
if you can't get the spine/cover flat, you can use a razor blade to cut the covers off (only if the damage to the art, if any, if easy to fix)
never microwave, high chance of burning the paper and melting any cheap ink (especially with glossy paper)
iron with disposable shirt over it
anatomy of paper binding -- cover, pulp, layer of glue on the spine
check edge of paper for shadow -- less force will be on the edge of the scanner top, so you need to apply pressure to flatten the edge of the paper
check for recurring spots in the same area in scans -- this means you need to clean the glass
check for hair, dust, etc. after every few pages
if you see green lines, etc. that are in the same spot, this means you need to disassemble your scanner and clean the scanner head
put a black piece of paper behind each page to prevent bleeding. better yet, just tape a black piece of paper to the scanner top. black glossy paper works, makes it easy to spot dust on your scanner glass that you need to wipe off