Make use of the Print Preview button found in the window after you hit Print.

It is as true WYSIWYG *What You See Is What You Get* and can save time, toner and paper.

Yes, all those settings in all those places is a frustration at times.

I have my BB open and here's my settings, which seem to print most things alright, but I give no guarantees about that. The thing seems to get me just when I need it most and don't have a lot of time to mess with it. Of course.

In the Lead Sheet Options window:

Experiment with the Font Size there, which is listed in Percentages. You can use the buttons, but you can also kind of narrow it down by typing a percentage in the little box as well.

While there, not the "number of staves per page" setting, changing that to less staves per page often yields more room, especially when lyrics are to be included.

I often set the Show Bar #s to None to free up some real estate as well, sometimes if there is a need for rehearsal numbers, I'll set it to Every Part Marker, but having it number every single bar is just silly IMO.

You can also hit the Notation Options button and uncheck the Display Patch Names on Notation, set that to False, again, it is rather silly and likely meaningless information to have on the sheet.

Close the Options window and hit the Print button at the top of the Leadsheet View page next. Don't worry, it won't print yet.

See the Staves per Page button there also? I have never figured out which of the two actually controls what, but right now, for example, mine is set to "10" here, while the one in the Leadsheet Options window is set for "4" and that's from a recent printout session that yielded what I needed the band to see.

Under the Font Size setting, I will use 48 for a leadsheet with no lyrics, have lowered that to 24 for one with lyrics IIRC. Again, I make lots of use of the Print Preview button to inspect what it looks like before I waste paper and ink.

About those Style and Tempo markings, I often highlight and delete them in the slots in the Print Window. They really aren't needed all that much on a sheet. Especially the Style, which doesn't mean anything to musicians not really familiar to Band in a Box styles.

A little trial and error using the Print Preview and you might just get what you're after.

Or, as we used to say when tuning up in the old USAF band, something "close enough for gummint work!"


--Mac

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