What is wrong with other computer printed scores?
• Computer printed scores often lack subtle variations in spacing, which results in mechanical appearance. • To prevent clashes between different symbols, they are spaced very widely, which leads to an “airy” look. • The heaviness of the layout is matched to that airy look: the symbols are usually too light, and the lines are too thin. • The wide spacing also causes a piece of music to take up more pages. • Beams often do not cover stafflines entirely, while slurs and ties do touch them, leading to distracting clusters of black and wedges of white around these places. Normally, one notices these details only subconsiously. The best way to become conscious of these differences is to compare a traditionally printed and a computer printed edition of the same piece, preferably with a magnifying glass. If you are not sure: traditional engraving is photographically reproduced hand-work, and can be recognized by slight irregularities in symbol placement, and small blotches due to the reproduc
