How to

This is the section where you can find some practical advice on how to format sheet music in Sibelius and Finale. All explanations in the help section are based on Sibelius 6 and Finale 2011. In case you need help with newer versions, please contact us!

DAW

If you work with a DAW such as Logic or Cubase you have the choice to either send ready formatted PDF’s, or export a midi file into one of the common notation programs, where it can be process further. In case you decide for the latter, remember to delete all unnecessary midi messages which have nothing to do with the actual notes (e.g. midi commands like bank or program change etc.) before the export. Otherwise you might run into strange results in the layout afterwards.

Music XML

Converting from Finale to Sibelius and vice versa is currently only possible as music xml. Files created in this way still have to be edited extensively. We therefore advice to decide for one program beforehand.

PDF

Printing PDF’s is equal to printing to paper. After choosing “print as” in the notation program you also need to choose a printer. The next step depends on the operating system of your computer, but basically you need to choose the PDF printer, which is a virtual one. Here you also have to adjust the paper size the files are supposed to be printed to. Otherwise it will print to the standard paper size.

Templates

Feel free to use our basic templates in the download section! Paper size, margins, staff size and the order of instruments are already implemented and ready to use. At the moment the templates are available for Sibelius 6 and Finale 2011. They will be updated in the coming weeks.

LAYOUT IN SIBELIUS

Create a new score in Sibelius 6 in a few easy steps or use our template.

New Score

For the basics on how to create a a complete new score, please refer to the Sibelius manual. During the setup the specifications for the score and parts should look like on the collected screenshots here.
The following topics have been coming up regularly, so we have put together short descriptions.

Bar Numbers – Score

a) In the menu bar go to “House Style” -> “Engraving Rules” (or: crtl + shift + E).
d) Bottom right: change “bar number frequency” to “Every 1 bars”.
e) Check “Center in the bar”.
f) Adjust bottom or top and of course the distance to the staff.

Bar Numbers – Parts

a) Go to one part
b) In the “Parts” window mark all parts, and click “multiple parts appearances”
c) Choose the tab “House Style”
d) In the bottom right: change “bar number frequency” to “Every x bars” or “No bar number”
e) Uncheck “Center in the bar”
f) Change back to “Every system”.

Changing the order of instruments

a) In the menu bar go to “Create” -> “Instruments”.
b) On the right side use “up” or “down” to change the order.
c) Click “ok”.

LAYOUT IN FINALE

Create a new template in Finale 2011 in a few easy steps or use our template.

New Score

For the basics on how to create a a complete new score, please refer to the Finale manual. During the setup the specifications for the score and parts should look like on the collected screenshots here.
The following topics have been coming up regularly, so we have put together short descriptions.

Change the Paper Size

In short:
a) Make sure you have chosen the “Selection Tool”.
b) In the menu bar go to “Document” ->”Page Format” -> “Score…”.
c) Adjust the numbers.
d) Click “Ok”.
e) Choose “Layout Tool” and in the menu bar go to “Page Layout” -> “Redefine pages…” -> “All Pages of Current Part/Score”.
f) Click “Ok”.
Screenshots

Bar Numbers – Score

a) Click the “Staff Tool”, and create some space by moving the staff handle next to the instrument.
b) Click the “Measure Tool” and in the menu bar go to “Measure” -> “Edit measure number regions”.
c) Check: “Show on every: “1” measures beginning with measure “1”.
d) Edit font style, size (“Edit font…”) and adjust its position (“Position”).
e) Click “Ok”.
Screenshots

Bar Numbers – Parts

a) Click the “Measure Tool” and in the menu bar go to “Measure” -> “Edit measure number regions”.
b) Choose the tab “Linked Parts”.
c) Uncheck “Use Score settings”.
d) Check: “Show on top” or “bottom”.
e) Check: “Show measure numbers at start of staff system.
f) Edit font style, size (“Edit font…”) and adjust its position (“Position”).
g) Click “Ok”.
Screenshots

Changing the Order of Instruments

a) Click the “Staff Tool”, and in the menu bar go to “Staff” -> “Reorder staves…”.
b) Choose the instrument from the list and use the arrows on the right side to move it up or down.
c) Click “OK”.

PDF & PAPER SIZES

Paper Sizes

There are various norms for the sizes of paper, which depend on either the user’s country of residence or the printer’s country of origin. The two most common and well-known norms in the world are ISO and US in North America. Next to different sizes in paper, there is also a difference in the measurement systems (metric in mm, cm etc. versus US in inches, feet etc.).

For further reading about paper sizes we suggest:
• Wikipedia (paper sizes in general)
• A paper sizes
• B paper sizes
• US paper sizes

The printer in the library of the Metropole Orkest was produced in Japan. Therefore our B4 paper, which is used for printing the parts, is in JIS (257x364mm), opposite to ISO (250x353mm).
In case JIS sizes are not listed in your notation software it is possible to adjust the paper sizes to *custom*.

PDF’s

In order to print PDF’s the operating system uses a “virtual (pdf) printer”. Like any other hardware it needs a driver to work, which either comes with the operating system (OSX) or has to be installed as part of a progam being able to create pdf’s (Windows). Most commercial progams come with the additional paper size of B4 (however mostly ISO), while open source programs only come with common standard sizes.
This concludes that if a program, which is able to create PDF’s is not already installed on your computer, you need to install one.

For Windows users there is among others “Acrobat Pro” (commercial), or “PDF Creator” (free).
Mac users might need to install an additionally (virtual) printer driver in order to choose B4 as paper size.
If after reading these descriptions it is still not working to print PDF’s from out of the notation software, then please send us the Sibelius or Finale file(s). It will save you rtime as well as ours if we print the PDF’s here at the library, where we have all the necessary pograms already installed, and know about possible issues and solutions to solve them.

Creating PDF’s in Windows

If the program “Acrobat Pro” is installed, it is very easy to create a PDF file. Alternatively the open source program “PDF Creator” can be used.
After choosing the file, which is to be printed…

In Sibelius

a) Choose “Print”.
b) As printer choose “Adobe PDF” or “PDF Creator”.
c) Click on the button “Properties” and adjust the paper size to A3 for or B4 respectively.
d) Click “Ok”.
e) Click “Ok”.

In Finale

a) Choose “Print”.
b) Choose “Setup”.
c) As printer choose “Adobe PDF” or “PDF Creator”.
d) Below the name of the printer choose the paper size (A3 for the score, and B4 for the parts).
e) Click “Ok”.
f) Click “Ok”.