Convert Finale files to PDF
- 5 minutes read - 905 words(Updated July 2007, January 2008, November 2008, July 2020, January 2021)
How to create a PDF file of a music score: PDF files allow you to share electronic copies of your music scores with people who do not have Finale and do not wish to install additional software (such as Finale Notepad).
First method (easiest, but not perfect)
If you use the latest versions of Finale, saving to PDF is easy.
- Choose File > Export > PDF.
- Pick a file name and location, then choose Save.
However, sometimes the built-in PDF export does not produce accurate results. Or if you have an older versions of Finale, it may not even have built-in PDF export. In these cases, you need to install a separate PDF converter (also called a PDF writer).
The good news is the PDF software can convert all your electronic documents, not just Finale files. Download a PDF converter (see list below for some suggestions) and install it on your computer.
List of PDF converters
Recommended
- PrimoPDF Free and a good balance of capable yet simple to use.
Free
- CutePDF Writer Installation hint: You need two files for this installation. Make sure you download and install both of them.
- doPDF
Pdf995Not recommended: includes advertising and pop-ups- PDFCreator Most capable of the free converters but recent versions bundle other software/spyware.
- PDF Redirect
Not Free
Many of the products below offer advanced features for PDF editing. For simple .MUS to .PDF conversion the free programs (above) work fine.
- Adobe Acrobat
PDF FactoryDiscontinued- PDF-XChange
- Win2PDF
Second method (Not recommended for Finale 2007 or older)
Make sure you installed a PDF converter first (see above). All the PDF converters work with the second method.
- Open up the .MUS file you want to convert.
- From the main menu in Finale, choose File > Print.
- Your new PDF converter should be listed as a “printer.” Select the PDF converter as your chosen printer, and choose Print.
- The converter may ask you where to save the new PDF and what to call it. After a moment, it creates a new PDF file for you.
When you “print” using the PDF converter it creates a PDF file on your computer rather than printing onto paper. If you are using Finale 2007 or older than the staff lines may vary in thickness when viewed on-screen, but it should still print out correctly. If this is a concern, then the Third method (below) will produce a higher quality PDF on Windows.
Note: you can use the first method to convert other files types such as word or text files, etc.
Third method (Recommended for Finale 2007 or older)
Use the third method if you have Finale 2007 or earlier. (Later versions of Finale produce quality output using the simpler second method). This method requires a fully capable PDF converter such as PDFCreator or Adobe Acrobat.
- Open up the .MUS file you want to convert.
- From the main menu in Finale, choose File > Compile PostScript Listing.
- Choose Compile and select a location to save the PostScript file.
- Open your new PostScript file with your PDF converter.
If step 4 poses a problem make sure your PDF converter is set to automatically recognize PostScript (.PS) files.
Instructions for PDFCreator: (1) Open PDFCreator from the programs menu, (2) Select Printer > Options, (3) Go to “General Settings 2,” (4) Click the button that reads “Associate PDFCreator with postscript files.” When you open a PostScript file it should now convert to a PDF automatically as described in the last step.
If you are using Finale 2007 or older then this method produces PDF files that look better on your screen and are more cross-compatible than PDF files created using the second method outlined above.
Possible issues
Funny characters instead of note heads
First make sure your PDF converter is set to embed fonts. Also note that the first method will have less problems than the second. If you are using the first method you should also make sure “Include fonts in listing” is marked on the Compile PostScript Listing dialog. Both these setting should be enabled by default. “Embedding” or “including” fonts allows you to share the file with others so that they can view the file properly even if they do not have the “Maestro” or “Jazz” fonts installed.
If you send the file to someone (who doesn’t have Finale installed) and they complain of funny characters instead of note heads, make sure this option is turned on under your converter’s preferences. In some PDF converters, this is referred to as “print-quality” (select the highest quality). Others will have a specific option such as “embed all fonts”.
Combining files into one PDF (e.g. a multi-movement work)
PDFCreator has this capability built in (read about the “Wait-Collect” button in PDFCreator at this FAQ) as do many of the advanced PDF editors. You may find it more convenient to use a separate program such as PDF Blender.
Other
Convert the other way: from .PDF to .MUS
This is more difficult for a computer to do. You would need to use “music scanning software” (such as SmartScore or SharpEye). The accuracy of the conversion will depend on the quality of the PDF file and the abilities of your music scanning software. If the PDF file was created directly from a music program, rather than a scanned image from paper, I would also recommend looking at PDFtoMusic.