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Document Options-Flags dialog box

How to get there

Choose Document > Document Options and select Flags.

What it does

With these options, specify global settings for flag type, positioning and spacing. You can also choose new font characters for each type of flag.

Use Standard Flags • Use Straight Flags. Click Use Standard Flags to use Finale’s default flag characters. Click Use Straight Flags to place straight flags on note stems (angled or horizontal straight flag symbols are available). You must select Finale’s Tamburo font in the Fonts options before you select Straight Flags. If Straight Flags is not selected, Finale places curved flags on stems.
Flag Positioning: First Upstem Flag • First Downstem Flag • Second Upstem Flag • Second Downstem Flag • 16th Note Upstem Flag • 16th Note Downstem Flag • Straight Upstem Flag • Straight Downstem Flag; H: • V:. Choose the flag style that you want to adjust from the drop-down list, then enter a different value for H: and V: to adjust the horizontal and vertical placement of the character. You may need to adjust the placement of flags if you choose to use a font other than Maestro or Petrucci for flags.
Flag Spacing. Type in the amount of space between flag symbols. You may need to change this value if you use a music font other than Maestro or Petrucci. For Petrucci this value is one space (24 EVPUs), as defined by Ted Ross in Teach Yourself The Art of Music Engraving & Processing. However, flag characters in other music fonts, such as Sonata, are not designed to be placed one space apart. In order to support the accepted standard of notating flagged notes where the eighth and 16th notes are the same height, we have added this control, which lets you move the flag symbols closer together or further apart. For example, if you use Sonata, you need to set the Flag Spacing to slightly less than one space in order to get consistent looking spaces between the flag characters. This is due to the shape of the flag character.
Secondary Group Adjust. Type in the amount to shift 16th and smaller flags (the secondary flags) away from the eighth flag. Hint: A larger number moves the secondary flags further from the eighth flag. A smaller number moves the secondary flags closer to the eighth flag. You may need to change this value if you use a music font other than Maestro or Petrucci. For example, if you use Sonata, you need to set the Secondary Flag Adjust to pull the secondary flags close to the eighth flag. This is due to the shape of the flag character.
Music Characters; Select. Here, choose any character in the default flag font to use for any flag type. Select the flag type from the drop-down list, then click Select to choose a character for that flag. The available characters will depend on the default font for flags specified in Font options. Finale supports two styles of notating 16th and smaller notes— one style for which flagged 16th notes are taller than flagged eighth notes (for files created in versions of Finale before 3.5)—and another style for which flagged 16th notes match the height of flagged eighth notes (used in files created with version 3.5 and later).