Text blocks

A text block can be almost any piece of text: a note to the conductor, a page of dialogue, performance instructions, or an extra verse of lyrics, for example. You can place block text, in any font and size, anywhere in the score.

Text blocks created in Scroll View and text blocks created in Page View are treated differently. Finale assigns a text block to a measure if you are in Scroll View when the text block is created. To create a page-assigned text block, you must be in Page View.

To create text in a frame that automatically expands as you type

  1. Click the Text Tool  image\Text_Tool.gif. The Text Menu appears.
  2. Double-click the document window where you want to place text. The editing frame appears, with a flashing cursor to indicate the insertion point.
  3. Type the text directly into the score without dragging to create a frame. Press enter (type a carriage return) to start a new line. The frame expands horizontally and vertically to accommodate the text you enter.

A single dashed line indicates that the frame will expand vertically and /or horizontally as you type.

To create text within a fixed-size frame

  1. Click the Text Tool  image\Text_Tool.gif. The Text Menu appears.
  2. Double-click the document window, and drag to create a rectangle to accommodate your text. An editing frame of the size you create appears, with a flashing cursor to indicate the insertion point. The placement of the insertion point—left, center, or right—depends on the justification options selected in the Text Menu.

A double dashed line indicates that the frame is a fixed size; it will not expand as you type.

  1. Enter the text you want displayed. The placement of the text within the frame—left, center, or right—depends on the justification options selected in the Text Menu. The words wrap when you reach the side of the frame.
  2. To resize the frame to accommodate additional text, drag the side of the frame to the desired size.

To edit text on-screen

  1. Click the Text Tool  image\Text_Tool.gif. The Text Menu appears.
  2. Double-click a text block handle. The editing frame appears around the text.
  3. Click within the selected text block to edit the text. The insertion point appears where you click. Select some text, then use the Text Menu to change the character or text block settings for the selected text.
  4. Use the Alignment submenu of the Text Menu or Frame Attributes dialog box to change a text block’s attributes, such as whether it is assigned to a measure or a page or pages, how it’s positioned, and so on.

To resize a text block on-screen

If a standard frame is set for a text block (Standard Frame is selected in the Text Menu), you can resize the text block on-screen by dragging its frame. If you’re using a custom frame for a text block (Custom Frame is selected in the Text Menu), see “To resize a custom frame” next for instructions.

  1. Click the Text Tool  image\Text_Tool.gif. The Text Menu appears.
  2. Double-click a text block handle. The editing frame appears around the text.
  3. To change the text block’s shape or size on-screen, drag any side of the frame to stretch the shape.

To resize a custom frame

  1. Click the Text Tool  image\Text_Tool.gif. The Text Menu appears.
  2. Click a text block handle, then choose Custom Frame from the Text Menu. The Custom Frame dialog box appears.
  3. Click Select. If a shape was already selected for the custom frame, the Shape Designer appears. If no shape was selected, click Create in the Shape Selection dialog box.
  4. Resize the shape in the Shape Designer. For details, see Shape Designer dialog box.
  5. Click OK or Select until you return to the Custom Frame dialog box, where you can see how the text flows into the selected shape. When the text flows into the frame the way you want it to, click OK to return to the document.

Note: As in previous versions, custom shapes may be used for more than one text block in the score. If the shape is used elsewhere, changing the shape for one text block will change all occurrences of the shape in the score.

To assign a text block to one or more pages

  1. Click the Text Tool  image\Text_Tool.gif. The Text Menu appears.
  2. Click a text block handle, then choose Frame Attributes from the Text Menu. Or, shift-double-click a text block. The Frame Attributes dialog box appears.
  3. Click to select Attach to: Page, if it isn’t already selected.
  4. Select an item from the drop-down list. Choose Single Page to show the text block on one page; choose All Pages to show it on every page; or choose Left Pages or Right Pages to show it on left or right pages.
  5. Set the page range. Enter the numbers of the pages where the text block will appear (you’d select Left Pages and 6 Through 10 to show the text block on every left page between pp. 6–10, for instance). To show the text block on a single page, enter the page number in the first page text box. To display the text block through the end of the piece, enter zero in the second text box, or leave the text box empty. For example, to show the text block on every page, starting at page 6, you’d select All Pages and enter 6 Through 10, or enter 6 and leave Through blank.
  6. Use the other settings in the Frame Attributes dialog box to adjust the text block’s position in the score, then click OK to return to the document.

To assign a text block to a measure

  1. Click the Text Tool  image\Text_Tool.gif. The Text Menu appears.
  2. Click a text block handle, then choose Frame Attributes from the Text Menu. Or, shift-double-click a text block handle. The Frame Attributes dialog box appears.
  3. Click to select Attach to: Measure and then, into the text box, type the number of the measure you want the text block assigned to.
  4. From the Staff drop-down list, choose the name of a staff you want associated with the measure-assigned text block. Finale will align and position the text block in relation to this staff.
  5. Use the other settings in the Frame Attributes dialog box to adjust the text block’s position in the score, then click OK to return to the document.

To position text blocks on-screen

  1. Click the Text Tool  image\Text_Tool.gif. The Text Menu appears.
  2. Drag a text block’s handle to adjust its placement in the score. Drag-enclose or shift-click additional text block handles to select them. You can drag multiple text blocks on the score to position them.

To position page-assigned text blocks (Text Menu)

  1. Choose Page View from the View Menu, if it isn’t already selected.
  2. Click the Text Tool  image\Text_Tool.gif. The Text Menu appears.
  3. Click a page-assigned text block handle, then choose Frame Attributes from the Text Menu.
  4. Position the text block from the page margin or the page edge using the Placement submenu. Choose Position from Page Edge or Position from Page Margin from the Placement submenu of the Frame Menu to align the text block from the page edge or from the page margin, respectively.
  5. Position the text block horizontally. Choose Left to place the text block 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 on the right edge or margin.
  6. Position the text block vertically. Choose Top (Header) to place the text block on the top edge or margin of the page; choose Center Vertically to center it vertically between the top and bottom edges or margins; and choose Bottom (Footer) to align it on the bottom edge or margin.

Note: When you change the horizontal or vertical placement, Finale clears any manual positioning that was done in the score, and resets the H: or the V: positioning settings, respectively, in the Frame Attributes dialog box to the new position.

 

To position page-assigned text blocks (Frame Attributes dialog box)

  1. Choose Page View from the View Menu, if it isn’t already selected.
  2. Click the Text Tool  image\Text_Tool.gif. The Text Menu appears.
  3. Click a text block handle, then choose Frame Attributes from the Text Menu. Or, shift-double-click a text block handle. The Frame Attributes dialog box appears.
  4. Use the Alignment and Positioning settings to position the text block.

Note: The Horizontal, Vertical, and Position from options in the Alignment and Positioning group box are only available when you select Attach to: Page. When Attach To: Measure is selected, these options are not available, because a text block assigned to a measure only appears on the page containing that measure.

  1. Position the text block horizontally. Choose Left from the Alignment and Positioning: Horizontal drop-down list to place the text block 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.
  2. Position the text block vertically. Choose Top (Header) from the Alignment and Positioning: Vertical drop-down list to place the text block on the top edge or margin of the page; choose Center to center it between the top and bottom edges or margins; and choose Bottom (Footer) to align it on the bottom edge or margin.

Note: When you change the horizontal or vertical page alignment, Finale clears any manual positioning that was done in the score, and resets the H: or V: settings, respectively, to the new position.

  1. Use the Position from drop-down list to position the text block from the page margin or the page edge. Choose Page Margin from the Position from drop-down list to have Finale calculate the text block’s position starting from the page margin. Choose Page Edge to have Finale measure the text block’s position starting from the edge of the page.
  2. 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 text block horizontally and vertically on the page, based on the other settings in the Alignment and Positioning group box.
  3. Click OK to confirm your settings and return to the document.

To position measure-assigned text blocks (Frame Attributes dialog box)

  1. Choose Scroll View from the View Menu, if it isn’t already selected.
  2. Click the Text Tool  image\Text_Tool.gif. The Text Menu appears.
  3. Click a measure-assigned text block handle, then choose Frame Attributes from the Text Menu. Or, shift-double-click a measure-assigned text block handle. The Frame Attributes dialog box appears.
  4. 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 text block horizontally from the upper-left of the staff associated with the measure. A larger value moves text to the right; a smaller value to the left. Enter a value in the V: text box for the distance to position the text block vertically from the upper-left of the staff associated with the measure. A larger value moves text down; a smaller value up.
  5. Click OK to confirm your settings and return to the document.

To position page-assigned text blocks on left- and right-facing pages (Frame Attributes dialog box)

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

  1. Choose Page View from the View Menu, if it isn’t already selected.
  2. Click the Text Tool  image\Text_Tool.gif. The Text Menu appears.
  3. Click a page-assigned text block handle, then choose Frame Attributes from the Text Menu. Or, shift-double-click a page-assigned text block handle. The Frame Attributes dialog box appears.
  4. Use the Alignment and Positioning settings in the Frame Attributes dialog box to position the text block on every page in the selected page range. See “To position page-assigned text blocks (Frame Attributes dialog box)” earlier in this section.
  5. Click Use Right Page Positioning to place the text block differently on right-facing (odd-numbered) pages.
  6. Position the text block horizontally on right-facing pages. Choose Left from the Right Page Alignment and Positioning: Horizontal drop-down list to place the text block 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 text block is aligned horizontally with the page edge or margin.)
  7. 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 text block 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.
  8. Click OK to confirm your settings and return to the document.

To delete a text block

To specify a default font for text blocks

  1. From the Edit Menu, choose document Options and select Fonts. The FontType Style options appear.
  2. From the Text drop-down list, choose Text Block and click the corresponding Set Font button. The Font dialog box appears in which you can select the font you want to use for your text blocks.
  3. Click OK twice. You return to the document. Now any new text you create with the Text Tool will use the font you selected.

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