Staff Spacing

[michaelrmurrin]

I am creating final parts for a piece I am writing. I am trying to optimize the parts to facilitate page turns. Therefore I am spacing staves manually. The only problem I am encountering is the following:

When I want to move a single staff onto the next page, I try to do so by dragging the staff down far enough that it gets moved to the next page. It works, but the staff appears pretty low on the next page and I can't move it any higher. You'll see in the attached screenshot that the top staff of page 3 is fairly low. I want to move that staff higher on the page so I can fit more staves on the page (to facilitate page turns), but it won't go any higher. Is there a way to fix this?

Screenshot is attached (and I removed all notes/info from the piece, which didn't affect the staves).

screenshot1.jpg

Thanks

[Peter Thomsen]

… I am spacing staves …

A small correction - “Finale-speak”:
You are spacing systems in a 1-staff part.

… When I want to move a single staff onto the next page, I try to do so by dragging the staff down far enough that it gets moved to the next page …

Do not do so.
Instead, push the system to the top of the following page by inserting a Page Break.
This is done with the Page Layout Tool (look in the Page Layout menu).
When you have inserted a Page Break, you will see a Page Break icon at the beginning of the system.

… It works, but the staff appears pretty low on the next page and I can't move it any higher. You'll see in the attached screenshot that the top staff of page 3 is fairly low. I want to move that staff higher on the page so I can fit more staves on the page (to facilitate page turns), but it won't go any higher. Is there a way to fix this? …

A way to fix the system spacing:

1) Before you begin, consider locking the systems so that the measures do not reflow.
This step is not strictly necessary, and you can also lock systems later.
Take a look in Preferences - Edit, in the pane Automatic Settings.
What item is chosen in the pop up menu Reflow Measures ?

2) Use the Page Layout Tool to insert Page Breaks where needed.

Before you step 3), go to
Document menu > Page Format > Parts…
and examine the settings - are they as needed?
If not, correct them.
You will not see any immediate layout change.
The settings in Page Format for Parts are for new pages.
Already existing pages are not affected until you have done step 3).

3) Page Layout menu > Redefine Pages > …
You can Redefine a single page, or all the pages in the part.
Finale will use the settings in Page Format for Parts.

When you have done step 3), it is likely that the parts’s system layout is as needed.
Or at least the layout only needs some small fine-tuning.