Frame Attributes dialog box

How to get there

Choose the Text tool . The Text menu appears.
Click a text block handleA small square which appears on currently "selectable" elements in the score. Handles allow you to select, edit and adjust musical elements in the score., then choose Text > Frame Attributes. Or, SHIFT+double-click a text block handle. Or type CTRL+SHIFT+T.

What it does

For measure-assigned text blocks, use the Frame Attributes dialog box to specify the staff and measure to which Finale should assign the text block; for page-assigned text blocks, specify which pages a text block will appear on, and position the text block vertically and horizontally on the page. The dialog box displays the settings already selected for measure- or page-assigned text blocks.

Noteman says: The Page options are only available when Attach to: Page is selected.

Attach to: Page: Single Page • All Pages • Page Range • Left Pages • Right Pages; __ Through __. Click Page to assign the text block to one or more pages. Choose an item from the drop-down menu to have Finale show the text block on a single page, all pages, a range of pages, left-facing (even-numbered) pages or right-facing (odd-numbered) pages, then specify the range of pages (with the exception of single page and all pages). Enter the numbers of the pages where the text block will appear (you’d select Left Pages, and 6 Through 10 to display the text block on every left page between pp. 6–10, for example). To show the text block on a single page, choose Single Page, then enter the page number in the first text box. To display the text block on the first page through the end of the piece, choose All Pages. To show the text block on every page, starting at page 6, you’d select Page Range and enter 6 Through 0, or enter 6 and leave Through blank.
The page number(s) in the Frame Attributes dialog box may differ between the part and the score if either contains blank/title pages. For example, if there is one title page on the part but not the score and a text frame is assigned to the first page containing music, the Frame Attributes dialog box indicates page 1 while viewing the score and page 2 while viewing the part.
Note that a text block assigned to a measure will only appear on the page containing that measure, so the page settings aren’t available for measure-assigned text blocks.

Noteman says: When you change whether a text block is assigned to a page or a measure, Finale resets the H: and V: values to zero. It also sets Measure to 1 or Page to 1 (or the current page if you’re in Page View).

Attach to: Measure • [Staff names]. Click to assign the text block to a measure. In the Measure text box, enter the measure number you want the text block to be assigned to. From the Staff drop-down menu, choose the staff you want associated with the measure-assigned text block. Finale aligns and positions the text block in relation to this staff.

Noteman says: The Horizontal, Vertical and Position from options are only available for page-assigned text blocks (Attach to: Page is selected).

Alignment and Positioning: Horizontal: Left • Center • Right; Vertical: Top (Header) • Center • Bottom (Footer); Position from: Page Margin • Page Edge; H: • V:. Use the Horizontal drop-down menu to position a page-assigned text block horizontally between the left and right page edges or margins. Choose Left or Right to position the text block flush with the left or flush with the right page edge or margin. Choose Center to center the text block between the left and right page edges or margins. When you select a Horizontal option Finale resets the Alignment and Positioning: H: value to zero, and positions the text block horizontally, depending on the Position from selection.
- Use the Vertical drop-down menu to position a page-assigned text block vertically between the top or bottom page edges or margins. Choose Top (Header) or Bottom (Footer) to place the text block at a distance measured from the top or measured from the bottom of the page edge or margin. Choose Center to center the text block between the top and bottom edges or margins. When you select a Vertical option Finale resets the Alignment and Positioning: V: value to zero, and positions the text block vertically, depending on the Position from selection.
- Use the Position from drop-down menu to have Finale calculate a page-assigned text block’s position starting from either the page margin or page edge. Select Page Margin to have Finale measure the text block’s position starting from the page margin. Select Page Edge to measure the text block’s position from the page edge.
- Use the H: and V: text boxes to position a measure- or a page-assigned text block horizontally and vertically. For measure-assigned text blocks (Attach to: Measure is selected), enter values in H: and V: to position the text block from the top-left of the measure. For page-assigned text blocks (Attach to: Page is selected), enter values in H: and V: to position the text block on the page, based on your settings in the Alignment and Positioning group box. Enter a value for H: to change the horizontal position; a positive number moves the text block to the right; a negative number moves it to the left. Enter a value for V: to change the vertical position; a positive number moves the text block higher; a negative number moves it lower.

Noteman says: The H: and V: text boxes in the Alignment and Positioning group box are used for both measure- and page-assigned text blocks.

Right Page Alignment and Positioning: Use Right Page Positioning; Horizontal: Left • Center • Right; H: • V:. Select. Use Right Page Positioning if you want Finale to position a page-assigned text block differently on right-facing pages. When this option is selected, you can set separate horizontal alignment and H: and V: settings for right-facing pages. Finale uses the settings in the Alignment and Positioning group box for left-facing (even-numbered) pages, and the settings in the Right Page Positioning and Alignment group box for right-facing (odd-numbered) pages in the score.
- Use the Horizontal settings to position page-assigned text blocks horizontally on right-facing pages when Use Right Page Positioning is selected. The settings work the same as the Horizontal settings in the Alignment and Positioning group box, but are used for right-facing pages only.
- Use the H: and V: text boxes to position page-assigned text blocks on right-facing pages when Use Right Page Positioning is selected. These settings work the same as the H: and V: settings in the Alignment and Positioning group box, but are used for right-facing pages only.
Position from Edge of Frame. This option is automatically selected for text blocks created in Finale. If you open a file from a version older than 3.7, this option is not selected; text blocks in your file will be positioned as they were in the previous version. This check box also affects line spacing in the text block. Finale also looks at font changes within the line when changing fonts.
OK • Cancel. Click Cancel to return to the score without updating any positioning for the text block. Click OK to confirm your settings and return to the score.