Text styles and properties
For MuseScore 4 users, see Text styles and properties.
Overview
Layout and formatting in Musescore has 2 main levels, read Layout and formatting first. Text objects have finer levels:
- Level 1: Properties of each individual text object in a score file:
- Formatting of individual characters within a text object;
- Formatting of the object that contains all the characters.
- Level 2
- "style for certain type of object": you can change their values in 'Style' window: left pane
- "style for text inside certain type of object": you can change their values inside items under 'Style' window: left pane 'Text style'
The final visual and function of most object in a score file is determined by:
- Characters do not have any specific formatting. When formatting are added to them, they will always be used. See Text editing: Text edit mode chapter.
- Text objects do not have any specific properties. When properties are assigned in the Inspector, they will always be used except for characters that already have their own formatting. see details in "Text properties" below.
- functional settings: all object on a score uses values in "style for certain type of object", this behavior cannot be changed, but you can edit values in them.
- visual settings:
- an object on a score uses values in appropriate "style for text inside certain type of object", such as "Style for text inside Chord symbols", "Style for text inside Lyrics Odd Lines" automatically. This behavior can be changed with the Style property in the Inspector. You can also utilize the 12 custom style.
- "Style for text inside Staff Text" is special. Every Text-related object on a score uses its values unless overridden, this behavior cannot be changed, but you can edit values in "Style for Staff Text".
- A subset of characters always use font settings in Style window > Score : "Musical symbol font" (6 options): musical glyphs such as Segno, Coda, ottavas, dynamics glyphs such as mf and some Symbols and special characters. See Fonts
Text properties
Concept of formatting is explained in the overview. To assign properties to a particular Text object or object containing Text on a score use the Inspector, covered in Text basics chapter.
Styles
Concept of formatting is explained in the overview. To change values inside a style (profile), either:
- use the 'Style' window, or
- edit properties in the Inspector, and click the Set as style.
Contains these options
- Name : Editable in User-1 to User-12 only.
- Font and Size: The name of the font (e.g. Times New Roman, Arial etc.) and its size in points, also see Fonts.
- Line Spacing
- Follow staff size: determines whether text size changes proportionally, see Layout and formatting chapter.
- Font style: The font style to use, e.g. Italic, Bold or Underline.
- Align: Horizontal (left, center, right) and Vertical.
- Color: Color and opacity of the text. Opacity is set by the parameter "Alpha channel" in the "Select Color" dialog: a value between 0, transparent, and 255, opaque.
- Offset X/Y: Horizontal and vertical offsets in sp. units.
- Frame: Choose to have a circular or square frame around the text.
- Border: Color and opacity of the frame border.
- Highlight: Color of the background within the frame.
- Thickness: Thickness of the line of the frame in space units.
- Margin: Inner frame margin in space units.
- Corner radius: For box frame, radius of rounded corner.
Custom style for text inside object
Concept of formatting is explained in the overview.
- Assign visual settings values to a custom style: "User-1" to "User-12"
- Change an object on a score: in the Inspector Style property