Kehykset

A Frame is a rectangular container for empty space, text or pictures in the score. It can be one of three types:

• Horizontal: Used to create a break in a particular system. It can contain text or pictures.
• Vertical: Inserted above or below a particular system. It can contain text or pictures.
• Text: Inserted above or below a particular system. It can contain one item of text only.

Horizontal frame

Horizontal frames are used to create a break in a system. For example, you can:

• Create a coda, with an adjustable gap separating it from the rest of the score (as in the example below).
  
• Create an offset at the beginning of the score, where there is no staff name to perform the same function.
• Create an adjustable right margin at the end of a system.
• Create space for some text or image(s).
• Create a space between a 'historical incipit' and the beginning of the modern edition.

Insert/append horizontal frame

See Create a Frame (below).

Adjust width of horizontal frame

Use one of the following methods:

• Double-click the frame and drag the handle to the right or left.
• Select the frame and adjust "Width" in the Inspector.

Notes: (1) "Left Gap" and "Right Gap" are currently unallocated (verion 2.1); (2) It is possible to create a 'Negative-width' horizontal frame, by dragging the edit-handle back over the left border of the frame. However, this is not a standard feature and once editing is finished you cannot reselect the frame.

Add text or image to horizontal frame

To add text:

• Right-click on the frame and select Add → Text.

To add an image:

• Right-click on the frame and select Add → Image.

Vertical frame

Vertical frames provide empty space between, before or after systems, and can contain one or more text objects and/or images. The height is adjustable and the width equals the system width.

You can use a vertical frame to:

• Create an area at the head of a score for Title/Subtitle/Composer/Lyricist text etc. (see below).
• Add single- or multi-column lyric text.

Insert/append vertical frame

See Create a Frame (below).

Adjust height of vertical frame

Use one of the following methods:

• Double-click the frame and drag the handle up or down.
• Select the frame and adjust "Height" in the Inspector.

Edit vertical frame properties

Selecting the frame allows you to adjust various parameters in the Inspector:

Top Gap: Adjusts distance between frame and element above (negative values not currently supported).
Bottom Gap: Adjusts distance between frame and element below (Negative values can be entered).
Height: Adjusts height of the frame.
Left Margin: Moves left-aligned text objects to the right.
Right Margin: Moves right-aligned text objects to the left.
Top margin: Moves top-aligned text objects downwards (see also Style → General... → Page).
Bottom Margin: Moves bottom-aligned text objects upwards (see also Style → General... → Page).

Add text or image to vertical frame

To add text:

• Right-click on the frame and select Add → Text/Title/Subtitle/Composer/Lyricist.

To add an image:

• Right-click on the frame and select Add → Image.

You can create as many objects as you like within a frame. Their positions can be adjusted independently by dragging or, more accurately, by altering the offset values in the Inspector. To format text objects, see Text editing and Text styles and properties.

Insert horizontal frame in vertical frame

• Right-click on the frame and select Add → Insert Horizontal Frame.

The horizontal frame is automatically left-aligned and fills the entire vertical frame. To right-align it:

1. Reduce the width of the horizontal frame.
2. Deselect the frame then drag it to the right. To restore left-alignment, drag the frame to the left.

"Title" frame

A vertical frame is automatically created at the beginning of a score, showing the title, subtitle, composer, lyricist etc., when you fill in the information fields provided on page 1 of the New Score Wizard.

If the score does not have a vertical frame at the beginning, you can create one as follows:

• Right-click on an empty space in the document window and select Text → Title/Subtitle/Composer/Lyricist.

Text frame

A text frame looks like a vertical frame, but is specifically designed to allow the user to enter text quickly and easily: as soon as the frame is created the user can start typing. Unlike the vertical frame, only one text object is allowed per frame, the height automatically expands to fit the content and there is no height adjustment handle.

Insert/ append text frame

See Create a Frame (below).

Edit text frame properties

Selecting the frame allows you to adjust various parameters in the Inspector:

Top Gap: Adjusts distance between frame and element above (negative values not currently supported).
Bottom Gap: Adjusts distance between frame and element below (negative values can be entered).
Height: Not applicable to text frames.
Left Margin: Moves left-aligned text objects to the right.
Right Margin: Moves right-aligned text objects to the left.
Top margin: Moves top-aligned text objects downwards.
Bottom Margin: Moves bottom-aligned text upwards.

Create a frame

Insert a frame into the score

1. Select a measure.
2. Chose one of the following options:
   • From the menu select Add → Frames → Insert...
   • Right-click on an empty space in the score window and select Frames → Insert...

Append a frame to the score

Chose one of the following options:

• From the menu select Add → Frames → Append...
• Right-click on an empty space in the score window and select Frames → Append...

Delete a frame

Select the frame and press Del.

Apply a break

Line, page or section breaks can be applied to frames as well as measures. Use one of two methods:

• Select a frame and double-click a palette break symbol (for example, in the Breaks & Spacers palette).
• Drag a break symbol from a palette onto a frame.

See also

• Text Properties—put a visual frame (border) around text

External links

• How to add a block of text to a score
• Page Formatting in MuseScore 1.1 - 1. Frames, Text & Line Breaks [video]