In the Finale tutorial document

EntryExercises.musx

you can see text in different colors.

But the different colors are a cheat, by using different Finale tools.

As Far As I Know, the Text Tool does not have the feature of using several different text colors.

Two ideas:

1) Instead of using different text colors, use different text fonts.

2) Export the Finale document as a PDF file, and edit the text blocks (= change text color) in a PDF editor.

Since this is set in Preferences, the obvious answer is No, it can’t be done the way you want.

This does not mean that workarounds don’t exist. At the moment, I can’t think of an elegant solution that can be done inside Finale that your collaborator can edit, also. I can think of a couple others but not one you are likely to find useful including the one that Peter already posted. 

A common complaint over the years is that text elements including lyrics, expressions etc. do not act like even the simplest word processors. Well, they don’t and I have never heard of a notation program where they do.

You may want to make a Feature Request for a new, independent Text element—say Editor Comments with its own font, style and color settings in Preferences.

Or, our years-old request for a “sticky note” feature.

Thanks, Peter and Mikes! YES to the "sticky note" feature idea. I have to believe this is how a lot of composers and copyists communicate—the default for the sticky notes would be for them to be non-printing elements. Will definitely chime in with a New Feature request on this matter.

PL

If you are working on music that doesn't use lyrics, as a work-around you could use the Lyrics Window to write messages. There you can change the text color, font, size, etc. By inserting hard spaces you can write sentences you can add wherever you want (obviously attached to a to a note in a convenient place, but you can of course move it around).

Thanks, Michael No. 3! (I'm starting to think that Finale is only used by people named Peter, Mike or Michael.) Not clear what you mean by "hard spaces," or how you'd attach lyrics to a note (I never use the Lyrics Window, always Type Into Score.) Can you kindly clarify?

PL

… you could use the Lyrics Window to write messages. There you can change the text color …

Michael M,

Pardon my ignorance.

In the Lyrics window, how do you change the text color?

This is in Windows, but should be much the same on a Mac

Tools > Lyrics > Lyrics Window( or with Ctrl-L), write your text

then go back to the Lyrics menu and choose Click Assignment
select the beginning of your sentence in the Lyrics Window and click on any note to attach the text
then ... go to the Lyrics menu and choose Adjust syllables, select the box and you can drag your text anywhere you want

sounds more complicated than it is

yours,

Mike the Third

the text color you have to change in Preferences > Display Colors > Lyrics
you can't do it in the Lyrics Window
obviously this will then only be useful if you aren't using actual lyrics in your score, because they will ALL change color

one more thing - when you write your text, do NOT make any normal spaces, only insert the Hard Spaces as per the text menu (only then will the whole attached sentence hang together)

Thanks—love hearing workarounds like this! Much appreciated.

PL

… The text color you have to change in Preferences > Display Colors > Lyrics …

… they will ALL change color …

This thread has the title

Is there a way to change the color of the font in text boxes on an individual basis?

You can not use the Preferences to change the text color on an individual basis - as Mike Halloran pointed out.

Yep, no elegant workaround and no text elements act like a WP. Repurposing the Lyrics field was one of the many workarounds I thought of and didn’t bother suggesting.

If I had to do something like this, I’d export as pdf and use any pdf editor to add these comments fields. I would think this to be a PIA in anything larger than a choral Octavio, however.

No other notation app has such a feature but I can’t imagine no one would want one. I really like the idea brought up by MikeR of a Stickies element that doesn’t print. Perhaps we can push for it in 28.

Yep, gonna make a sticky notes feature request right now. Thanks, all!

PL

UPDATE: I just discovered the "Sticky Notes" thread from seven (!) years ago. Reawakened it. Hopefully this will be like the Flying Dutchman—I've come ashore after seven years, let my soul finally find peace!

I have submitted a feature request for a "better" text editor for years. It has fallen on deaf ears. I am not asking for MS Word, not even Wordpad but something along that idea or level. It would be nice to have it right inside Finale and no need to use other software as a workaround. It seems so simple as all that is needed is to upgrade or update the already existing text editor. Just a little MM.

There is a JW Lua script "Annotations post-it style" on the French forum (with an English interface available). With many options (see interface below).

The forum (in French), known as "Finalisons", deals with the French and English versions of Finale and has a new URL : finale-aide.fr

(Many tutorials, scripts, news etc...)

You have to register.

https://finale-aide.fr/viewtopic.php?p=33862#p33862

It seems so simple as all that is needed is to upgrade or update the already existing text editor.

Knock yourself out if it’s so easy. We’d all like it if it were there.

The education market has been begging for this feature for decades—certainly since DMCS showed up in the Amiga in the mid ‘80s—yet no one has managed to do it in the 40 years since. The workaround was page layout which appeared around the same time. 

Back to the OP. The one easy solution to that request would be an additional Text element that could be used however the User desired. It would just need to be added. The only downside is that forgetting to remove all instances before printing would cause those editing remarks to remain. Non-printable Stickies would address that concern.

"The only downside is that forgetting to remove all instances before printing would cause those editing remarks to remain. Non-printable Stickies would address hat concern."

Yep. And that is indeed what I requested in my reawakening of the ancient thread.

PL

I have downloaded and installed the JW Lua script "Annotations post-it style" but can't make it work.
Has anyone tried it? Any advice?

I tested in Finale 27.3 (Mac, English) and it works.

Are you sure that you loaded the plug-in into JW Lua ?

I have loaded the script into RGP Lua, and it works, too.

Check both installations.

P.S. : the annotations can be non-printable (leave the checkbox empty, see image).

Thanks for your suggestions. I have always had problems when installing (older) Lua scripts in the native Lua Script directory. So I am using RGP Lua, which works in general for me, but not with this particular one. It never gets past the above shown error. Doesn't matter too much, just wanted to try it out (I normally just use text boxes for comments)