Dorico Tutorials

Engrave Mode in Dorico: A Category Overview

Introduction

Engrave Mode in Dorico is where musicians, composers, and publishers refine the visual appearance of a score. Unlike Write Mode, which focuses on musical content and structure, Engrave Mode provides precise control over graphical layout and spacing, ensuring professional-quality engraving.

Finale users may find this separation unfamiliar, as Finale allows direct editing of notation positions within its main entry mode. However, Dorico’s two-phase approach (composition first, engraving second) helps maintain clarity and consistency while providing unparalleled flexibility in score design.

1. What Can Be Edited in Engrave Mode?

Engrave Mode allows detailed control over:

• System and Staff Spacing – Adjusting how staves and systems fit within a page.
• Frame Adjustments – Customizing music frames, text frames, and graphics placement.
• Note and Symbol Positioning – Fine-tuning the placement of notes, articulations, and other score elements.
• Font and Typography Settings – Adjusting text styles, lyric positioning, and title page elements.
• Condensing Adjustments – Fine-tuning automatic condensation of multiple instruments in a condensed conductor’s score.
• Manual Beaming and Slur Adjustments – Fine-tuning how beams and slurs behave.

2. Key Features of Engrave Mode

Frames and Page Layout

Dorico’s Frame System provides a powerful way to control score layout:

• Music Frames define where music appears on a page.
• Text Frames allow insertion of libretti, program notes, and custom labels.
• Graphics Frames enable the embedding of images, logos, or other visual elements.
• Master Pages provide reusable templates for consistent page formatting.

Finale users accustomed to manual text box placement will appreciate Dorico’s structured and flexible approach to handling text and frames.

Page Templates and Tokens

Dorico uses Page Templates (formerly called Master Pages) to create consistent formatting across parts and scores. These templates eliminate the need for manual text entry on each page, ensuring that key project details appear automatically.

• Page Templates control headers, footers, page numbers, and titles.
• Users can customize templates for full scores, parts, and specific layout needs.
• Adjustments to a Page Template apply automatically to all pages using that template.

Dorico also utilizes Tokens to insert metadata dynamically, similar to Finale’s Inserts. These allow automatic population of project details, eliminating manual entry errors:

• {@projectTitle@} – Inserts the project title.
• {@flowTitle@} – Displays the title of the current flow.
• {@composer@} – Automatically pulls the composer’s name.
• {@arranger@} – Displays the arranger’s name if set in project metadata.

By leveraging Tokens, users can maintain a dynamic and professional layout without needing to adjust text manually in each part.

Staff and System Spacing

• Adjust individual system spacing by dragging handles.
• Modify vertical spacing without affecting horizontal note positioning.
• Lock systems or staves to prevent automatic repositioning when making global layout changes.

Manual Note and Symbol Adjustments

While Dorico intelligently spaces notes, users can:

• Graphically move notes without altering their rhythmic values.
• Adjust stem directions, articulations, and accidentals for clarity.
• Fine-tune slurs, ties, and beams for better readability.

Condensing Adjustments

Dorico’s automatic condensing feature helps keep conductor’s scores readable. In Engrave Mode, users can:

• Adjust manual condensing changes for complex instrument groupings.
• Override default behaviors for player assignments.
• Improve legibility by modifying how multiple parts combine into one system.

Typography and Fonts

• Customize title pages, part headers, and text styles.
• Adjust lyric baselines and text positioning for better alignment.
• Change font families and sizes for clarity and style.

3. Best Practices for Engrave Mode

• Write First, Engrave Second – Make all musical edits in Write Mode before switching to Engrave Mode.
• Use Page Templates – Define standard layouts for multiple pages instead of manually adjusting each one.
• Leverage the Frames System – Arrange musical and textual elements without disrupting other pages.
• Utilize Tokens for Dynamic Text – Avoid manual text entry by using project metadata tokens.
• Fine-Tune Spacing Last – Only adjust individual elements after the general layout is complete.

4. How Engrave Mode Differs from Finale’s Approach

5. Conclusion

Engrave Mode in Dorico is a powerful, structured environment for fine-tuning a score’s appearance. By keeping layout adjustments separate from note input, Dorico ensures consistent, high-quality engraving with minimal manual intervention. Understanding and mastering Engrave Mode enables users to produce professional, publication-ready scores with ease.

For musical theater and large-format projects, familiarity with Page Templates and Tokens is essential to maintaining a polished, efficient workflow.

Related Resources

• Dorico Manual: Engrave Mode
• Dorico YouTube Tutorials
• Dorico Forum Discussions