paperless

[peterbas]

Music notation software was already used in the 1960's.
A tablet with music on it was already around like 1400 BCE.

[bloke]

Music notation software was already used in the 1960's.
A tablet with music on it was already around like 1400 BCE.

Guitar players are particularly clever, because they know how to use tablature without having to use tablets.

[peterbas]

No such thing as a guitar at that time.

[bloke]

No such thing as a guitar at that time.

But wasn't there something called a liar?

[tofu]

I've been wondering about the white vs. off-white paper color lately. We print parts on off-white, which our paper supplier helpfully describes as "natural", but many publishers (not all) print on solid white. My first thought was that the high contrast between white and black would make it generally easier to discern the ink, but I could see the opposite being true. The white paper would reflect more light than the off-white paper, but we don't need to see the white; we need to see the black. So maybe it puts more strain on our eyes because we are getting too much light from the part of the paper we NOT trying to read?

I wonder how dark/cursed mode would do for readability. Obviously this would pertain more to screen reading, since it would be rather...wasteful to color entire pages black except for the music. Putting aside how strange it would be to have everything inverted, I wonder if it would be easier in the long run.

I’ve noticed for the last couple years my group seems to be getting new music digitally and then we print it on the band copier. I think they’re are using regular and cheap copy paper. The stuff is hard to read and the pages are paper thin. They don’t lie flat which is especially a problem in the summer at our outdoor concerts. The old large manuscript printed professionally was so much better to read, keep on the stand as well as being able to flip the page.

As a librarian Is there a special grade/maufacturer brand of paper for music you could recommend that would allow a better printed page out of a copier? I’d love to be able to give them an actual recommendation rather than just a complaint. We’re an amateur but very generously funded excellent muni band. We’ve got 3 librarians (with a library of around 6000 pieces no less) that they are trying to bring into the modern age after our old librarian of 50 years stepped down. Wonderful old Marine Band guy with his own unique filing system...that only he seemed to understand.

[Mary Ann]

I don't know about a copier but I use 24# paper for my laser printer for music and it makes a difference. Not as floppy. Regular paper is 20#.

[Colby Fahrenbacher]

@tofu, if they haven't already, I would recommend that they read the MOLA Guidelines for Music Preparation. It's a great document put together by MOLA (the professional organization for librarians of varied ensemble types) and is a great reference. The short version is:

- 60 or 70 lb paper (not cardstock)
- non-glossy
- 9"x12" minimum
- white or off-white

It can be hard to find 9"x12". I source my paper through a local paper supplier. I usually buy a box of 12"x18" and ask them to split half of the box into 9"x12". This allows me to print single page parts easily on 9"x12" but also have the corresponding 12"x18" for printing booklets or two pages on a sheet. Depending on how much single-sheet printing they have to do, you can get away with using a paper cutter yourself to split as needed, but that gets old real fast. The industrial paper cutters chomp right through it. They will also need to make sure that their printer/copier can handle up to 12"x18". If not, 60lb 8.5"x11" and 11"x17" will still be a substantial upgrade, just not larger in print.

The heavier weight paper will make the parts more durable and "stick" to the stand better. If they print booklets, you'll still get the fold in the middle wanting to push the pages up, but they are less likely to do the classic "bottom part of the page starts to walk towards the front of the stand and straight into the pile of spit".

Off-white can also be difficult to find in these specs, which is part of why I use a local supplier. I was able to find all of these paper sizes in 60lb bright white on Staples, but not in off-white.

Non-glossy shouldn't overlooked also, but is fairly common. Nothing worse than stage lights bouncing off sheet music and making it unreadable.

Something else worth mentioning: if they typically are doing standard copier paper as individual double sided pages, they should consider looking into the wonderful world of taping. With the right tape (definitely NOT scotch or masking tape), you can create multi-page booklets without needing a printer that can handle large paper sizes.

Good paper is expensive, but it makes a big difference on the stand. I hope this helped!

[tadawson]

@Colby Fahrenbacher
You DO realize how much more food humans must eat in order to power bicycles (all of that natural gas fracking, in order to create fertilizer, etc.) and - once at the gig - how much more coal, natural gas, or fuel oil must be burned in order to charge and power all of those tablets, yes?...and the child labor involved in harvesting the materials required to manufacture the batteries for all those tablets...

Further, converting trees into paper prevents those trees from dying and rotting and - were they to die and rot - those trees would be expelling untold amounts of carbon into the atmosphere...so paper - unquestionably - is THE environmentally responsible choice.

Besides all of the pitfalls I've listed in tablet use, I just can't imagine myself being that environmentally irresponsible.

OK...You called me out, and I'll admit it: I am a baby. I've never served in the armed forces nor fearlessly defended Europe...but I was a street captain on the safety patrol.

Burn the trees to power the tablets . win/win?

[bloke]

Well, someone has a sense of humor.