Formatting to get a score to be an exact fit into a number of pages
Apologies if this sounds an odd question. This is the area I find the most difficult and least explained. Having (largely) completed a score, is there an area in the Handbook or Help elsewhere which simply explains how to:
(a) Create (for the first page only) a small space or margin between the Heading/title/composer area and the start (or first stave) of the piece?
(b) Ensure that all of the piece or work (however long it is) fits correctly into a number of pages so that the work fills or fits the last page entirely. It does not end with say half a page?
I am aware of the area of the Handbook for Formatting but it is somewhat convoluted and difficult to follow?
Are there any practical tips or directions or solutions to resolve (a) and (b) above?
Or is this just trial and error (or even a certain amount of luck)!
Would be grateful.
Comments
for a) look at https://musescore.org/en/handbook/frame-0, for b) you have to work your way to that pretty convoluted https://musescore.org/en/handbook/layout-and-formatting-0 and have a good Play with all the bptions there. But maybe a simple and decent use of https://musescore.org/en/handbook/breaks-and-spacers helps already
The relatively short answers:
a) Select frame, Inspector, increase "Bottom gap". Or if you expect to have other frames and want more space after all of them, go to Style / General / Page and increase "Vertical frame bottom margin".
b) "Correctly" is subjective. Say there are are 20 systems andf three pages. Should they be distributed 7, 7, 6? Or 6, 7, 7? Or 7, 6, 7? What if they are different sizes (because of lyrics, or Hide empty staves)? What if there are also frames or other formatting elements that change the number of systems that can fit on a page? Also, do you want to actually make the staff size larger, or just increase the distance between systems? Or maybe you want to increase the overall spacing so that there end up being more systems? These are just way too many decisions to expect any program to make in a way you subjectively agree with. So MuseScore just gives you simple controls to make these decisions yourself.
So I wouldn't exactly call it "trial and error" or "luck". It's a matter of having a clear vision of what you want to see different - more systems, bigger systems, more space between systems, etc - and then taking the necessary steps to make those things happen.
In reply to The relatively short by Marc Sabatella
Thanks. I guess was lucky in that the first score I completed fitted exactly first time. But have struggled after that.
(a) After writing my comment today I noticed the Vertical Height narrative in Layout and Settings. I clicked onto the frame in the Title/composer area of the score. I called up View/ Inspector and in the Vertical Frame displayed increased Bottom Gap and Height. I could see it moving and adjusted numbers until it was what I wanted the score to look like. I believe this is similar to the responses received, so thanks.
(b) I did the then access Layout/ Page Settings/ Stave space and marginally adjusted that stave space until I could see that the pages fitted fairly exactly at the end of the piece. It is close to perfect for me although I since realise that other adjustments exist in places such as Style /General/ Page
I am grateful for responses.
In reply to Thanks. I guess was lucky in by collierr
Having seen the post by Jojo-Schmitz I have since added Breaks & Spaces to my repertoire! I went to View/Pallets/ Breaks & Spaces then dragged 'stave spacer down' to a measure and elongated the blue arrow which appears to increase space between 2 measures or bars.
Pleased with the result!
In reply to Having seen the post by by collierr
Also, simply adding a page break where desired (from the same palette) will often be all you need.