Cleaning artwork before vectorization?

[fatfingers]

What does it mean when someone says they have 'cleaned the artwork so now it is available for vectorization'?

Thanks!

[Trebeck]

I could be wrong but it sounds like they actually clean the printed artwork for high dpi scanning then maybe some color correction.  If there are chunks missing you can sometimes clone other sections especially in patterns.  Some people use a function in Illustrator called Live Trace that traces photos/scans (raster) into curved art (Vector) which I do not recommend.  But in order to do it properly your scan has to be as clean as possible.
It's just the cleaning process you should do before tracing.  Makes life easier.
Hope this helps ya.

[fatfingers]

Thanks.  So basically it's just prepping the work for the cleanest scan available, and then any touchups on the digital scan before the tracing begins.