The page size is document specific, not program specific.

Some users need different page sizes in different documents.

If I were you, I would go through my templates/default documents, and change the page size to A4.

This is done in the Page Layout Tool (look in the Page Layout menu).

NB:

Also go to

Document menu > Page Format > …

and set the default formatting for all new pages in the document, both in score and parts.

In that way all new documents created from those templates will begin with the A4 page size.

However, Finale documents that someone else sends you, may not be set up with A4 page size.

You will have to change the page size in each and every document (as described above).

A custom FinaleScript script that converts the page size to A4, might be a good idea.

Also, the Document Setup Wizard defaults to Letter size.

Hey, there is an idea for a small feature request:

An option to set the default page size in the Document Setup Wizard.

Hi Peter,

Thanks, your idea is good-  An option to set the default page size in the Document Setup Wizard is what I (and probably many others) need.

I never use templates as I always write for different ensembles, therefore I ask myself why do I have to change this default each time I start a new document.

Greets,

Benny

Being a European myself, I have a sympathy for this request. I recall having a conversation about this with MM, years ago and I think they told me pretty much the same as you do, Peter. This may not be a big issue, but since, not all, but a large number of the works I do (we do in Europe) are in the A4 format, it would be nice to have the option to change the default in the setup wizard.

And, as a European not yet having any American clients, I have so far never had any use for the Letter format. 

Lastly, I think it would be a nice gesture from MM to see to it that Finale is designed as the truly international program it in fact is. 

Like me, also European, the paper size is something important to me. I've already tried to change the position on pagesizes.txt (Library / Application Support / MakeMusic / Finale 26/ Configuration Files / pagesizes.txt) and still remains the letter format as default. In older version this was the way to transpose this problem. In Finale v26 doesn't work. What can we do to solve this problem?

Since my previous post a year ago I have found a solution.

It may not work with all Finale versions, but it does work in my own copy of Finale v26.

Quoting the post by Michael Johnson:

… you can add a file to your Document Styles directory and thus start a new file with the same page formatted as you wish.

On Mac, the folder resides in: ~/Library/Application Support/MakeMusic/Finale/Music Files

On Win, the folder resides in: AppData/RoamingMakeMusic/Finale/Music Files

Edit the file once and use every time …

While you are in the directory Document Styles, you can also edit the ready made document styles there, and change their default page size to A4.

Here are the steps.

In this example let us say that you want to edit the template document “Engraved Style.musx”.

Go to the directory Document Styles (see the path to Document Styles above, in the Michael Johnson quote), and open “Engraved Style.musx”.

Document menu > Page Format > Score…

In the dialog Page Format for Score, change the page size to A4. Click OK, and save.

Document menu > Page Format > Parts…

In the dialog Page Format for Parts, change the page size to A4. Click OK, and save.

These steps will set the formatting of all new pages.

Already existing pages are not affected.

To update already existing pages:

Page Layout Tool.

Page Layout menu > Redefine Pages > All Pages of Current Part/Score

You only have to do this once.

From now on, when you in the Document Setup Wizard select the document style Engraved Style, the Page Size will default to A4.

Updated for Finale 27.4 for Windows 10 users:

1. Press Windows + E.
2. In the address bar of the Explorer window, type the following: %appdata%\MakeMusic\Finale 27\Music Files\Document Styles.
3. There are two files there by default: Finale Broadway.ftmx and Finale Maestro.ftmx. Double click or use the up down arrows and press Enter for the one you want to edit; I chose Finale Maestro.ftmx. Do not close this window yet.
4. The file opens in Finale.
5. Press and hold Alt and press O, F, S (or click Document Options, select Page Format, then Score).
6. Change to your desired paper style. Click OK.
7. Press and hold Alt and press O, F, P (or click Document Options, select Page Format, then Parts).
8. Change to your desired paper style. Click Ok.
9. If you wish to make other changes to the default options, such as font choices, this is a good time to do so.
10. Press and hold Alt and press F, A (or click File, Save As).
11. Press Alt + Tab to go back to your explorer window where you found the templates. Single-click in the address bar then press Ctrl + C or Ctrl + Ins to copy the directory.
12. Press Alt + Tab to go back to your Finale window.
13. In the address bar, press Ctrl + V or Shift + Ins to paste the directory. Press Enter.
14. In the bottom drop-down menu, change file type from Finale Notation File to Finale Template File.
15. Double-click the template file you edited (in this case: Finale Broadway.ftmx).
16. Click Yes to accept.

Your file is now saved and all your edits should be part of your default options when opening a new file. Old files will still be as they were when you last edited them.

Thanks, Tor-Ivar. That worked very well. Hopefully I will see A4 page format only in my documents from now on.

Happy to be of service, Anders. Norsk/dansk/svensk?

Svensk. Men jobbar en hel del med Musikkforlagene i Oslo.

Artig!

Thanks to users for the workarounds - but this fundamental problem HAS NOT BEEN ADDRESSED by MakeMusic. The Setup Wizard should not be permanently set to US settings without any option to change it.

Now I try to remember not to use the setup wizard, but so many times I have carefully formatted orchestral parts only to go to print and find my hours of work has been wasted because of this wretched setting. And I've just noticed that if you add another page (eg. by adding more bars/measures, the new page is letter size, even if the document is set to A4. Another way to get caught out....

Most of the rest of the world don't use letter size. It is very annoying :(

Hi,

I can only agree with Philip, that so many years passed and changing such a minor programming definition such as paper size did not take a place yet, is a real failure of Coda Music.

Perhaps not a perfect solution but an extremely helpful script plug-in is Page Format Wizard.

It and a host of many other scripts is available here.  https://www.finalelua.com/scripts  It make page layout night and day better than the one(s) included with Finale.

You can edit the pagesizes.txt file in:

Mac: ~/Library/Application Support/MakeMusic/Finale 27/Configuration Files. (NB: the user Library.)

Windows: AppData/RoamingMakeMusic/Finale 27/Configuration Files (possibly -- someone please verify.)

Whichever page size comes first in the list is the default in the Setup Wizard and Page Format. For me, at least, selecting the page size in the Setup Wizard overrides any existing size in the Document Style template files. 

Finale must be restarted to update the contents of the file.

@Ben Byram-Wigfield YES! YES! YES!  At last - many thanks for this :)

Actually I found that it is the last page size in the file that is picked by the default doc wizard on my PC, but no matter, you have solved this problem that nobody else seems to have, so again, many thanks!