In Japan we often use B4 to print larger ensemble and orchestra scores but their size is different to what is offered in Dorico as default. The Japanese B4 size is 257 x 364 mm. It would be great if the Japanese Paper Size Type could be integrated into Dorico!
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Standards! JIS B Series is different from ISO (while JIS A is basically the same, JIS B is quite a lot different). So much for standards.
But here is my question related to this: there is an option called âCustomâ in the paper size selection but it does not appear to allow a size to be set, only a custom scale factor. Is that right? You canât set a custom size - which would solve the problem for JIS paper standard users?
Yes you can.
It is possible to add custom page sizes to Dorico. Iâve added JIS B4 to this doricolib file:
Additional Page Sizes.doricolib.zip (1.3 KB)
You need to add this to a folder named âDefaultLibraryAdditionsâ in the folder where your Dorico user preferences are stored, e.g. on a Mac:
[User]/Library/Application Support/Steinberg/Dorico 5/
and then restart Dorico.
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I didnât know you could do that! Thanks so much, will try it out as soon as Iâm back home.
Still, it would be nice to have this option without having to tinker with the internal files as a new user. Youâd think that B4 is the same size in every country until you get it printed and bound professionally and notice that something is off. Itâs basically a trap lying in wait.
I would always set a custom size but having to do that for each new project is kind of tedious and I tend to forget doing it, let alone remembering the exact size each time.
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You could save a template document, accessible from the File menu.
Ah. I was referring to Print Mode. I suppose Iâm pretty stupid!
I wouldnât think that for a minute. JIS sizes are well known outside Japan as well. And JIS in general, for example for screw sizes and threads. Itâs not that obscure.
As an aside, it is incredibly hard to buy ISO B4 paper in Australia for some reason, despite the fact that we are fully metric, have been for a long time, and everybody uses ISO A series for everything. Itâs strange. Itâs such a good size for music.
Many printer drivers list âB4â, but use JIS dimensions (because Ricoh, Canon, Kyocera, etc are Japanese); and so if you computer used the printerâs list of sizes for creating pages, or for making PDFs, you would end up with a mismatch.
Itâs hard to buy ISO B-series in the UK, too.
And itâs weird that B-series seems to fit music better than A-series, given that they are both the same ratio. B5 is very close to traditional âChoral Octavoâ size.
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