Inserting front matter as a new flow

I have a flow that contains the first movement of a piece I’m writing. I now want to create a title and front matter pages in Engrave mode as a new separate starting flow. How can I create a new non-music flow at the start? I’ve created the pages, but by default they are part of the existing flow and I don’t know how to separate. The “split flow” command seems only to work if you want to split within the music.

(I’ve also tried deleting front matter pages I ended up not needing, but with limited success. I’d echo comments from others that if there’s an “insert pages” icon, there really should be a delete pages icon right next to it.)

Thanks.

Tony

The title seems different, but the application is the same: Adding reference pitches in Dorico - Scoring Notes

Hi Dan. Thanks for responding. I took a look at the Scoring Notes link, but I don’t think it’s quite the same issue. I have a title page, then 3 pages containing only text frames, then the music starts on a fresh page. I’d like to split this into two flows - an intro flow with just the text pages, then a second flow where the music starts.

Flows only apply to chunks of music, not text. If the front matter has no music, it is basically free-floating stuff in front of the first flow.

Given that the ultimate output is going to be PDF most likely, why not create your front matter in whatever word processor or publishing program you choose and insert that at the front of the PDF output created by Dorico? This is what I do, and I also make front and back covers and so on. There are dozens of PDF editors available, including free online ones. In the end I find this is more efficient and more powerful than trying to work with extensive or typographically advanced fomatted textual matter in Dorico, which is not the right chisel for that job. Yes, it would be nice to stay inside Dorico for the entire published edition, but it’s not a publishing tool. I use InDesign and Affinity Publisher. Sorry it’s probably not the answer you were hoping for. And as @PjotrB points out, there is no such thing as a ‘non music flow’ to use your phrase.

Thanks PjotrB and Andro. Good to know re flows, and also a good suggestion to use other tools for the non-music bits. I’m fairly new to the engraving functions, and was perhaps too optimistic about what could be done within the software. Thanks again.

I don’t have any issues with the above, but I will say that for basic front matter (title page, instrument lists, notes, etc.) Dorico text and graphic frames with appropriate fonts (I use Garamond) can produce a professional-looking score for binding with the advantage of keeping it all in one file.

Yes. with the appropriately created Custom Page Templates, that can be done; but combining a PDF of the music file with additional PDF front matter is also a viable method depending on one’s needs.

For many years I have used FinePrint for that purpose. You can rearrange jobs and send them to all defined printers, including pdf.
David