ok...i'm scanning some 80's LP covers and pretty much everytime they come out all mottled and crappy. Well..pretty much anything that I try to scan (that's a print) doesn't come out too well. Photos and solid colors come out fine. I think it's because a 'print' is made up of little dots of color and the scanner can't recognize it as a sharp image. Is there any program that helps correct this problem?? I've tried messing around with it in photoshop 5 but all I do it make it blurry.

Whoa...scanning LP covers? That´s a lot of work...scanning twice for one side then assembling in Photoshop...nah, I don´t have the patience for that. :D

Okay...check first for the scanning resolution. For print-outs on your own printer, I recommend 300 dpi (dots per inch). That´s the best compromise of quality and datasize although I guess when you scan a 12x12 it will be fairly large. Don´t forget to convert to CMYK before printing it out!
For displaying on screen, 72 dpi are enough. It´s a little bit tricky to transform the image to smaller sizes then, but for the screen, it doesn´t matter that much. You can leave the image as a RGB.

Check in your scan software for a function "Moire / Moire reduction / Disturbance". The measure there is given usually in lpi (lines per inch). Go for the highest selection (sometimes it´s dubbed "art printings"), 175 lpi should be fine.
You can also play around with the initial settings (Hue / Brightness / Contrast / Saturation), but if you are not sure, better leave them alone. Scan a plain white sheet of paper to see in which way the settings need to be corrected, then try with a pic or a page from a magazine to see if it´s correct.

Scan the objects about half an hour after switching on the scanner. The lamp needs this time to reach the working temperature.

Update your scan software. Most times, it will bring a improvement in scanning, plus maybe new functions are added.

Upgrade to Photoshop 5.5 or 6. Since the 5.5 version, additional functions for converting pics for web use are available.

If all of this won´t result in any improvements, you may have to get a new scanner. Refer to computer magazines to find the one which is okay for you in quality and price.

Sorry that this became long...usually, these advices fill whole books... ;)

Wavemaster, you really are the man on all this stuff - I wasn't sure if I could get help because it's a non-related 80's question, but you've been a great help! a very lengthy and extensive answer! thankyou!
it shouldn't be a problem now that someone has explained the way to go about it.
Say, I swear ive seen that little black animated logo on your postings on a Front 242 cover!

Good thing I could help you with that.

And...yes, you are right - it appeared first on the "Tragedy For You" - MaxiCD. ;)