Noteman says: View the Changing the number of systems on a page QuickStart Video for an overview.
A system is one line of connected staves across the page. This entry contains instructions for spacing, indenting, moving, or resizing systems. See Page layout for information on setting initial system position and size settings. See To create a system break, Measure layout, or Page turns for further instructions on laying out the measures that constitute systems.
For instructions on compacting staff systems by omitting empty staves (when printing orchestral scores, for example), and varying the number of staves in each system by removing blank staves, see Hiding staves.
To indent or move a system
It’s common practice to indent the first system of a piece—not only for aesthetic reasons, but often to allow room for staff names to be written out in full. The following instructions show you how to indent or move a single system; if you want to indent all systems, a better method would be to simply increase the page margin. See Margins for full instructions.
Noteman says: To change the vertical spacing of systems on any number of individual pages, use the Space Systems plug-in.
- Choose the Page Layout tool
. Each system is surrounded by a dotted-line rectangle. - Go to the page containing the system you want to change. Notice the boldface number to the right of each system. The numbers on the systems (the first system is number 1) help you identify each system, so you’ll be aware if the system layout has shifted.
- To indent a system, drag its upper-left handle.
- To move a system, click within the staff lines and drag.
Instead of dragging, you can enter values directly into the Edit System Margins dialog box. Note that, if you drag or edit the left margin of the first system in a document, the corresponding Left margin setting for the First Staff System is updated in the Page Format for Score dialog box.
- Choose Utilities > Update Layout.
To force a system onto the next page
Use the following technique if you’re laying out the pages of your piece and find that you need to force the last system on one page to the top of the next page. If you want the system to always appear at the top of a new page, see Page Turns.
- Choose the Page Layout tool . Each system is surrounded by a dotted-line rectangle.
- Go to the page containing the system you want to move, and click to select the system.
- Choose Page Layout > Systems > Edit Margins.
- Enter a larger number in the Distance Between Systems text box. Deselect all other options.
- Click Apply. If the system doesn’t move to the next page, continue increasing the Distance Between Systems and clicking Apply until it moves.
- Choose Utilities > Update Layout.
To reduce or enlarge a system
- Choose the Page Layout tool . Each system is surrounded by a dotted-line rectangle.
- Choose Page Layout > Resize Staff Systems (System Reduction). The Resize Staff System dialog box appears, asking how to resize the system.
- Enter the desired reduction or enlargement percentage, and specify the region of systems you want to affect.
- Select Hold Margins if you want to reduce (or enlarge) the music itself but not the system margins, thus increasing (or decreasing) the number of measures that fit on a line.
- Select Resize Vertical Space if you want to tighten up (or expand) the space between this system and the next, proportional to the reduction (or enlargement).
- Click OK.
To restore a system to its original size, choose Page Layout > Resize Staff Systems again and enter 100 (%).
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