Graphics

With the Graphics Tool, you can place Encapsulated PostScript (EPS) files, PICT and TIFF files for use within Finale, and export a region of music or pages of music as EPS, PICT and TIFF files that can be used in other applications.

Graphics placed in Scroll View and Page View are assigned differently. Finale always assigns a graphic to a measure if you are in Scroll View when the graphic is placed. To place a page-assigned graphic, you must be in Page View. Both page- and measure-assigned graphics can be edited and repositioned in Page View. However, page-assigned graphics do not appear in Scroll View.

For information regarding the relationship between graphics in the score and linked parts, see Page-attached graphics and in linked parts and Measure-attached graphics in linked parts.

When exporting graphics, Finale exports entire pages of music, or a selected region of music. To export a selected area of a page, you must be in Page View.

To export a selected region of music as a graphic (Page View)

From the Window Menu, choose Advanced Tools. Click the Graphics Tool $image\Graphics_Tool.gif$ . The Graphics Menu appears.
Double-click and drag to enclose the area you want to export as a graphic.
Choose Export Selection from the Graphics Menu. The Export Selection dialog box appears.
Choose a graphics format from the Type drop-down list to tell Finale whether to create an EPS, PICT or TIFF file. If you select EPS or TIFF, the PostScript Options or TIFF Resolution settings will be available, respectively. For details about these settings, see Export Selection and Export Pages dialog boxes.
Use the Pages setting to export the selected region of music from one or more pages to graphics files. Select All to export the selected region from every page. Select From to export a selected region on a range of pages, then enter the page numbers in the two text boxes.
Select Generate Names From and enter the file’s title in the text box, followed by a number sign (#), to have Finale name each new graphics file automatically. Optional: Click Save In to specify the folder that Finale should save the graphics file into. Finale uses the title and replaces the number sign by a sequential number to create a unique title for each file. Select Prompt For Each Name if you want Finale to ask you for a title each time a file is created.

Note: Unless you specifically enter a file extension as part of the file name, Finale will automatically save graphics files using their standard extensions: TIF for TIFF files and EPS for Encapsulated PostScript files (or the extensions specified in the [EXTENSIONS] section of the Finale.ini file).

Click OK (or press enter). Finale saves the graphic.

To export full pages of music as graphics (Page View)

Choose Page View from the View Menu.
From the Window Menu, choose Advanced Tools. Click the Graphics Tool $image\Graphics_Tool.gif$ . The Graphics Menu appears.
Choose Export Pages from the Graphics Menu. The Export Pages dialog box appears.
Choose a graphics format from the Type drop-down list to tell Finale whether to create an EPS, PICT or TIFF file. If you select EPS or TIFF, the PostScript Options or TIFF Resolution settings will be available, respectively. For details about these settings, see Export Selection and Export Pages dialog boxes.
Use the Pages setting to export all pages or a range of pages of your score to graphics files. Select All to export every page of your score to a graphics file. Select From to export a range of pages, then enter the page numbers in the two text boxes.
To have Finale name each new graphics file automatically, select Generate Names From and enter the file’s title in the text box, followed by a number sign (#). Optional: Click Save In to specify the folder that you want Finale to save the graphics files into. Finale uses the title and replaces the number sign by a sequential number to create a unique title for each file. Select Prompt For Each Name if you want Finale to ask you for a title each time a file is created.

Click OK (or press enter). The standard Save As dialog box appears. Click Save to save the graphics files.

To place graphics into the score

From the Window Menu, choose Advanced Tools. Click the Graphics Tool $image\Graphics_Tool.gif$ . The Graphics Menu appears.
Choose Place Graphic from the Graphics Menu, or double-click on the document window where you want the graphic to appear. The Place Graphic dialog box appears, listing the available graphic formats in a drop-down list EPS, PICT or TIFF files.
Choose one of the formats in the drop-down list to display only the files of the selected type in the current folder. Choose TIFF file (*.TIF), or Encapsulated PostScript Listing (*.EPS), or choose All Files (*.*) to display all files.
From the scrolling list, select the graphics file you want to place, then click OK. A special cursor appears, indicating that a graphic is ready to be placed.
Click on the measure (in Scroll View) that you want the graphic assigned to, or click on the screen where you want the graphic placed (in Page View). Finale assigns the graphic to the nearest measure in Scroll View. In Page View, Finale assigns the graphic to the page you clicked. The graphic appears at the position you clicked. When a graphic is selected, eight bounding rectangle handles appear.

To place graphics into the Shape Designer

To place a graphic into the Shape Designer for use as an expression, click the Expression Tool $image\Expression_Tool.gif$ , then click a note or a measure. Click Shape. In the dialog boxes that follow, click Create, Select, and Create. The Shape Designer dialog box appears.
Or, to place a graphic into the Shape Designer for use as an articulation, click the Articulation Tool $image\Articulation_Tool.gif$ and click a note. Click Create, then click Shape and Main (or Flipped). Click Create. The Shape Designer dialog box appears.
Click the Graphics Tool $image\Graphics_Tool.gif$ in the Shape Designer dialog box.
Click in the Shape Designer display area. The Place Graphic dialog box appears, listing the available graphic formats in a drop-down list; EPS, PICT or TIFF files.
Choose one of the formats in the drop-down list to display only the files of the selected type in the current folder. Choose TIFF file (*.TIF), or Encapsulated PostScript Listing (*.EPS), or choose All Files (*.*) to display all files.
From the scrolling list, select the graphics file you want to place, then click OK. The graphic appears at the position you clicked in the Shape Designer display area. When a graphic is selected, eight bounding rectangle handles appear. Use the graphic as you would any shape created in the Shape Designer.

To assign a graphic to one or more pages

Choose Page View from the View Menu if it isn’t already selected.
From the Window Menu, choose Advanced Tools. Click the Graphics Tool $image\Graphics_Tool.gif$ . The Graphics Menu appears.
Click to select a graphic, then choose Attributes from the Graphics Menu. Or, double-click a graphic. The Graphic Attributes dialog box appears.
Click to select Attach to: Page, if it isn’t already selected.
Choose an item from the Page drop-down list menu to have Finale show the graphic on a single page, all pages, left-facing (even-numbered) pages or right-facing (odd-numbered) pages. Choose Single Page to show the graphic on one page; choose All Pages to show it on every page; or choose Left Pages or Right Pages to show it on left-facing (even-numbered) or right-facing (odd-numbered) pages.
Set the page range. Enter the numbers of the pages where the graphic will appear (for example, choose Left Pages and 6 Through 10 to show the graphic on every left page between pp. 6–10). To show the graphic on one page, choose Single Page from the Page drop-down list menu and enter the page number in the first page text box. To display the graphic on the first indicated page through the end of the piece, enter your first page number in the first text box and enter zero in the second text box, or leave the text box blank. For example, to show the graphic on every page, starting at page 6, you’d select All Pages and enter 6 Through 0, or enter 6 and leave Through blank.
Use the other settings in the Graphic Attributes dialog box to adjust the graphic’s position in the score, then click OK.

To assign a graphic to a measure

Occasionally you may want to change a page-based assigned graphic to a measure-assigned graphic so it moves with the measure instead of remaining at a fixed position on the page. To assign a graphic to a measure when first placing it into the score, place the graphic in Scroll View. (See “To place graphics into the score” for details.)

From the Window Menu, choose Advanced Tools. Click the Graphics Tool $image\Graphics_Tool.gif$ . The Graphics Menu appears.
Click to select the graphic, then choose Attributes from the Graphics Menu. Or, double-click the graphic you’re adjusting. The Graphic Attributes dialog box appears.
Click to select Attach to: Measure, if it isn’t already selected. In the Measure text box, enter the number of the measure you want the graphic assigned to.
From the Staff drop-down list, choose the name of a staff you want associated with the measure-assigned graphic. Finale will align and position the graphic in relation to this staff.

Note: Finale will only display the graphic on the page the measure appears on when you’re in Page View. If your measure layout changes, the graphic will move with the measure.

Use the H: and V: settings in the Graphic Attributes dialog box to adjust the graphic’s position in the score, then click OK.

To scale a placed graphic proportionally

From the Window Menu, choose Advanced Tools. Click the Graphics Tool $image\Graphics_Tool.gif$ . The Graphics Menu appears.
Click the graphic to select it. Or, drag-enclose the entire graphic to select it. When selected, eight bounding handles appear on the graphic.
Drag a handle to resize the graphic horizontally or vertically.

To adjust the exact scaling of a graphic or to reset it to 100% of its original size, select the graphic, then choose Attributes from the Graphics Menu. Or, double-click the graphic. The Graphics Attributes dialog box appears.
Enter a value into the Scale: H: and V: text boxes, as a percentage. Enter 100 in each box to draw the graphic at 100% of its original size, 50 to draw it at half its original size (50%), and so on.
Click OK to confirm your settings.

To position placed graphics on-screen

From the Window Menu, choose Advanced Tools. Click the Graphics Tool $image\Graphics_Tool.gif$ . The Graphics Menu appears.
Click to select a graphic. Or, drag-enclose one or more graphics. (You must drag-enclose an entire graphic to select it.)
Drag a selected graphic to the new position. All the selected graphics will move as you drag.

To position page-assigned graphics (Graphics Menu)

Choose Page View from the View Menu, if it isn’t already selected. $image\Graphics_Tool.gif$
From the Window Menu, choose Advanced Tools. Click the Graphics Tool . The Graphics Menu appears.
Click to select a page-assigned graphic.
Position the graphic from the page edge or page margin using the Alignment submenu. Choose Position from Page Edge or Position from Page Margin from the Alignment submenu of the Graphics Menu to align the graphic from the edge of the page or from the page margin, respectively.
Position the graphic horizontally using the Alignment submenu. Choose Left to place the graphic on the left edge or margin of the page; choose Center Horizontally to center it between the left and right edges or margins; or choose Right to align it with the right edge or margin.
Position the graphic vertically using the Alignment submenu. Choose Top to place the graphic on the top edge or margin of the page; choose Center Vertically to center it between the top and bottom edges or margins; and choose Bottom to align it on the bottom edge or margin.

Note: When you change a graphic’s horizontal or vertical alignment using the Alignment submenu, Finale repositions the graphic on the page, and resets its H: or V: positioning settings to zero, respectively, in the Graphic Attributes dialog box.

To position page-assigned graphics (Graphic Attributes dialog box)

From the Window Menu, choose Advanced Tools. Click the Graphics Tool $image\Graphics_Tool.gif$ . The Graphics Menu appears.
Click to select a page-assigned graphic, then choose Attributes from the Graphics Menu. Or, double-click a page-assigned graphic.
Use the Alignment and Positioning group box to position the graphic horizontally. Choose Left from the Horizontal drop-down list to place the graphic on the left edge or margin of the page; choose Center to center it between the left and right edges or margins; or choose Right to align it on the right edge or margin.
Use the Alignment and Positioning group box to position the graphic vertically. Choose Top (Header) from the Vertical drop-down list to place the graphic on the top edge or margin of the page; choose Center to center it between the top and bottom edges or margins; or choose Bottom (Footer) to align it with the bottom edge or margin.

Note: When you change a graphic’s horizontal or vertical alignment using the drop-down list, Finale repositions the graphic on the page, and resets the H: or V: settings, respectively, to zero.

Use the Position from drop-down list to position the graphic from the page margin or the page edge. Choose Page Margin from the Position from drop-down list to have Finale calculate the graphic’s position starting from the page margin. Choose Page Edge to have Finale measure the graphic’s position starting from the edge of the page.
Set the positioning distance. Enter values into the H: and V: text boxes in the Alignment and Positioning group box for the distance to position the graphic horizontally and vertically on the page, based on the other settings in the Alignment and Positioning group box.
Click OK to confirm your settings.

To position measure-assigned graphics (Graphic Attributes dialog box)

From the Window Menu, choose Advanced Tools. Click the Graphics Tool $image\Graphics_Tool.gif$ . The Graphics Menu appears.
Click to select a measure-assigned graphic, then choose Attributes from the Graphics Menu. Or, double-click a measure-assigned graphic.
Set the positioning distance. Enter a value in the H: text box in the Alignment and Positioning group box for the distance to position the graphic horizontally from the upper-left of the staff associated with the measure. Enter a value in the V: text box for the distance to position the graphic vertically from the upper-left of the staff.
Click OK to confirm your settings.

Note: The Horizontal, Vertical, and Position from options in the Alignment and Positioning group box are not available when Attach to: Measure is selected, because a graphic assigned to a measure will only appear on the page containing that measure.

To position page-assigned graphics on left- and right-facing pages (Graphic Attributes dialog box)

If you’re using running headers or footers in your score, you might want to position a graphic in the header or footer near the “outside” edges or margins (the left or right edges, respectively) of each left (even-numbered) or right (odd-numbered) page, as opposed to positioning the graphic in the same place on every page. This is easily done using special positioning settings for right-facing (odd-numbered) pages in the Graphic Attributes dialog box.

Choose Page View from the View Menu.
From the Window Menu, choose Advanced Tools. Click the Graphics Tool $image\Graphics_Tool.gif$ . The Graphics Menu appears.
Click to select a page-assigned graphic, then choose Attributes from the Graphics Menu. Or, double-click a page-assigned graphic.
Use the Alignment and Positioning settings to position the graphic on every left-facing (even-numbered) page in the selected page range. See “To position page-assigned graphics (Graphic Attributes dialog box).”
Select Use Right Page Positioning to place the graphic differently on right-facing (odd-numbered) pages.
Position the graphic horizontally on right-facing pages. Choose Left from the Right Page Alignment and Positioning: Horizontal drop-down list to place the graphic on the left edge or margin of the right-facing page; choose Center to center it between the left and right edges or margins; or choose Right to align it on the right edge or margin. (Finale resets the Right Page Alignment and Positioning: H: setting to zero so the left, right, or center of the graphic is aligned horizontally with the page edge or margin.)
Set the positioning distance. Enter values into the H: and V: text boxes in the Right Page Alignment and Positioning group box for the distance to position the graphic horizontally and vertically on right-facing pages, based on the Right Page Alignment and Positioning: Horizontal setting, and the Vertical and Position from selections in the Alignment and Positioning group box.
Click OK to confirm your settings.