MuseScore PDF fonts

• Apr 4, 2011 - 21:42

I am trying to create some well formatted pages that include MuseScore notation; but I am running into some problems with the interaction between MuseScore PDF files and Adobe Creative Suite apps. There are also some problems using MuseScore on a Mac, which may be part of the problem.

I have been unable to save a PDF using the "Save As" feature (Mac OSX). Instead, I use the Print window and "Print to PDF." If all I want is a PDF file, this system works well; but I would like to be able to open those PDF files with Adobe Illustrator in order to add written text. Ordinarily, Illustrator functions easily as a companion application to Adobe Acrobat; but when I try this with a MuseScore PDF I find that I do not have the fonts to open the files. I have tried a work-around by saving the PDFs as image files (TIFF or JPEG), but then the notes become rather pixillated around the edges (jagged edges). They print okay, but they look bad on a computer screen.

Is there a way to download the fonts that MuseScore uses so that they are available to other applications such as Adobe Illustrator and Adobe inDesign?

Alternatively, is there a way to create some kind of text box within Muse Score in which one could put text for things like the extra verses of a song down below, or even nested within the notation.

Thanks

Jake Sterling

Comments

Miwarre

• Apr 5, 2011 - 00:15

A) MuseScore fonts:

MuseScore fonts are embedded in the program itself rather than separate and separately installed, as this saves several kinds of complications arising from the different ways different platforms have for installing fonts.

As the program is open source, the fonts are included in the source; so in principle you could obtain them simply by downloading the source; however, I agree this might raises other complications for a user who is not used at working with source code.

B) About how to insert texts in score, you may see the handbook page about text frames .

C) About saving as PDF: have you tried "File | Save a copy..."?

Jake Sterling

• Apr 5, 2011 - 02:22

Thanks for getting back to me so speedily. I think the problem is that, without a lot of programming skills that I don't have, you can't do what I want to do.

I did know about the Text Frame thing, but it's not very satisfactory as it doesn't really work if you need to get the text formatted well — or, anyway, I haven't been able to figure out how to do it. I think the only practicable solution in the amount of time I have available for this particular project is to do what I am already doing, which is to export the score as an image and just work around the image. It's not elegant, but it will be perfectly readable and get the job done.

Thanks again,

Jake Sterling

[DELETED] 5

• Apr 5, 2011 - 08:23

Could you provide an example of what you can't do with the text facilities in MuseScore ?

Here is a demo of what MuseScore can do : http://musescore.com/score/5464

Normally the relevant font glyphs are embedded in the PDF file and you don't need any installed font on your system.
Nevertheless, you can get the fonts here and here.

Jake Sterling

• Apr 5, 2011 - 15:24

Thanks for getting back to me. I am not going to have time to do this for a couple of days. I'll get back to this probably Thursday (7-April-2011).

Cheers