Page layout

Many instructions for setting the page layout for your documents appear under their own entries. See, for example, Document Options-Music Spacing; Distances; Margins; Page size; Measure layout; and To change the widths of many measures. For instructions on arranging measures within the score (setting the number of measures per line, for example, or moving a measure to another system), see Measure layout. For details on printing large scores that require taping several laser printed pages together into composite pages, see Tiling pages for printing.

The initial layout of any document’s pages is determined by the settings in the Page Format for Score dialog box (from the Document Menu, choose Page Format, and then Score). In this dialog box, you can specify dozens of page layout measurements (see Distances). Changes you make to the page layout in the Page Format for Score dialog box, however, don’t immediately affect existing pages—only pages yet to be created. If you want the changes applied to existing pages as well, choose Redefine Pages > All Pages from the Page Layout Menu (which appears only when the Page Layout Tool is selected).

An easier way to make formatting changes, however, is to use the Page Layout Tool. See “To change the page layout,” below.

A common use of Finale’s page layout tools is to specify how much music should fit on a page—how many measures per line, for example, or how many systems on a page. It’s important to realize that there are four elements affecting the amount of music on a page. First, look at the distance between staves in each system; if you decrease the total height of the system (by clicking the Staff Tool and dragging the staves closer to each other), more systems fit on the page.

Second, you can adjust the distance between systems. If you’re trying to fit another system onto a page, the simplest solution is to slightly decrease the space between all systems, so that the cumulative effect is to create just enough room for another system on each page (see “To change the distance between systems,” below). You can also specify the number of systems on a page by using the Space Systems Evenly command (see “To specify a number of systems on each page). The third factor affecting the amount of music that fits on the page is the amount of reduction you’ve applied to the music on a page—you may find that a reduction of even a percentage point or two is just enough to fit another measure per line, or another system per page (see Reducing/Enlarging). Finally, don’t forget that you control the “tightness” of the spacing of the music itself, with the Music Spacing command in conjunction with a Spacing Width Library (see Document Options-Music Spacing). The tighter the music, the more measures will fit on a line, and hence the more music will fit on the page.

To change the distance between systems

Click the Page Layout Tool $image\Page_Layout_Tool.gif$ . Dotted-line margins appear around each system.
From the Page Layout Menu, choose Systems, then Edit Margins. The Edit System Margins dialog box appears.
In the Change section, click Select All. In other words, you want the change you’re about to make to affect every system in the piece. Make sure Distance Between Systems is checked and uncheck all other boxes. We don’t want to make all of the margins the same, just the distance between systems.
In the Distance Between Systems text box, enter a new value. This value is measured in whatever your Measurement Units are set to. See the Document Menu for details. If you prefer, you can click within any system and drag instead of typing numbers.
Click Apply. If you like what you see, click Close. You’ve just changed the amount of space between every system in the piece. In so doing, you may also have changed the number of systems able to fit on a page. (The bottom text box governs the amount of extra space below each system.)

Finale initially won’t let you enter negative values, so that a system overlaps the system above it. If you really want to create this cluttered effect, turn off Avoid Margin Collisions by choosing it from the Page Layout Menu, so that a check mark no longer appears.

To specify a number of systems per page

Click the Page Layout Tool $image\Page_Layout_Tool.gif$ . Dotted-line margins appear around each system.
From the Page Layout Menu, choose Space Systems Evenly. The Space Systems Evenly dialog box appears.
In the Space System Evenly on section, specify the desired pages, or choose All Pages to include the entire document. For more information, see Space Systems Evenly dialog box.
Select Place_Systems on Each Page, and in the text box, enter the number of systems you want to place on the selected pages.
Click OK. Pages in the specified region will appear with the number of systems you entered. If the number of systems on the pages specified does not change, you will need to edit the system margins or reduction so the number of systems you choose will fit on the page. See “To change the page layout” and “To reduce or enlarge a system”. For information on resizing pages, see Reducing/Enlarging.

To change the page margins

See “To change the page layout,” below, or see Margins for a more detailed discussion.

Note: If you’re printing on a PostScript printer and you find that brackets and staff names are being “chopped off” in your printouts, you may not need to change the page margins at all. Instead, choose Printer Setup from the File Menu, click Options, and then select the Paper tab and click Unprintable Area. If you make this setting, most laser printers can print 1/8 inch closer to every page edge.

To set the page size

See “To change the page layout,” below, or see Margins for a more detailed discussion.

To change the page layout

Click the Page Layout Tool $image\Page_Layout_Tool.gif$ .
Move to the page you want to change. If you want to change the page layout of all pages at once, it doesn’t matter which page you’re on. If you’re unsure about your changes, and you don’t want your changes to affect your settings in the Page Format for Score dialog box, make sure to first deselect Update Page Format in the Page Layout Menu. Remember, you can always choose Undo from the Edit Menu to restore your piece to its previous state.
If you want to change the Page Size, choose Page Size from the Page Layout Menu.
In the Page Size dialog box, choose the page size from the drop-down list or enter values using the currently selected measurement units.
Choose Landscape or Portrait.

Tip: This setting affects how Finale lays out the page. Printing settings are set in the Page Setup dialog box under the File Menu.

Select the range of pages you want to affect. Page 1 is a Right page.
Click OK.
If you want to change the page margins, first set the range of the pages to affect in the Page Margins submenu of the Page Layout Menu.
Drag the handles at the edge of the page margins. You can also enter values directly into the number boxes of the Edit Page Margins dialog box. See Edit Page Margins dialog box for more information.
If you want to reposition or respace a staff system on the page, drag from the middle of the system. Note that while Avoid Margin Collisions is checked the Page Layout Menu, Finale won’t let you drag one system on top of another one. Ctrl-drag to prevent other systems from moving.
If you want to respace the staff systems evenly across the page, choose Space Systems Evenly from the Page Layout Menu. See Space Systems Evenly dialog box.
If you want to insert a page break, select a system handle, then choose Insert Page Break from the Page Layout Menu.
If you want to indent or resize a system, drag a handle. Each system appears bounded by a dotted line. To indent a system, drag its upper-left handle. Instead of dragging, you can enter values directly into the number boxes. See Edit System Margins dialog box for more information. When you’re viewing Staff Systems, you’ll notice a boldface number to the right of each system. The numbers on the systems (the first system is number 1) help you identify each system, so you’ll be aware if the system layout has shifted.
To edit another page use the arrows at the bottom of the document window to move the next or previous page.
From the Edit Menu, choose Update Layout.

To change the default page layout (Page Format for Score dialog box)

See Distances; Margins.

Note: The changes you’ll be making in these instructions establish the page layout for pages yet to be created. To apply them to existing pages, see the final two steps below.

From the Document Menu, choose Page Format, then Score. The Page Format for Score dialog box appears.
Enter new values in the text boxes. The units are whatever you’ve selected in the Measurement Units in the drop-down list. The Page Size numbers specify the default page dimensions. The Page Margin numbers are the distances from the edge of the page; thus, if the page size changes, the margins remain the same distance from the page edge. In these text boxes, all numbers are positive and measure an absolute change from the page edge. The System Margin numbers define the placement and shape of the individual systems. The Right and Left margins are the distances from the edge of the system to the right and left page margins, respectively (both are usually zero); the Top margin is the distance between the top staff of each system and any extra space for ledger lines or other symbols which normally appear above the staff; and the Bottom margin measures the distance between the bottom staff of one system and any extra space for ledger lines or other symbols which normally appear below the staff. The last measurement is Distance Between Systems. See Page Format for Score and Page Format for Parts dialog boxes. .
Click OK (or press enter). The changes you’ve made will affect only new pages added to the piece by Finale, unless you perform one of the following additional steps.
To apply the new page layout to one existing page, click the Page Layout Tool $image\Page_Layout_Tool.gif$ ; go to the page you want to edit; Select Current Page from the Redefine Pages submenu of the Page Layout Menu.
To apply the new page layout to all existing pages, choose Redefine All Pages from the Redefine Pages submenu of the Page Layout Menu, and click OK.

To apply a different page layout to selected pages

The fact that there are two places to make page layout changes—the Page Layout Tool and the Page Format for Score dialog box—gives you some extra flexibility. Suppose you need to format a score with right and left facing pages that are formatted differently, and have different margin requirements. Using this system, you can apply a secondary page layout to specified pages (just the odd-numbered pages, for example).

Create the primary page layout in the usual way. Either enter numbers into the Page Format for Score dialog box (Document Options in the Document Menu) and then choose Redefine All Pages from the Page Layout Menu, or see “To change the page layout,” above.
From the Document Menu, choose Page Format, then Score. The Page Format for Score dialog box appears.
Enter the numbers that define the secondary page layout. For help in interpreting the various measurement boxes in this dialog box, see “To change the default page layout (Page Format for Score dialog box),” above.
Click OK (or press enter).
Click the Page Layout Tool $image\Page_Layout_Tool.gif$ .
Go to the first of the pages you want to change. From the Redefine Pages submenu Select Left Pages, Right Pages, Selected Pages, to give a second Layout to certain pages.
As always, choose Update Layout from the Edit Menu.