Jon

Older versions of PDF Distiller required a .ps file as input. I didn't mean to imply that the .ps in raw form would be useful as a way of exchanging info with someone else. Someone could copy a .ps file to a PostScript printer to get great print output, and it used to be the rule that the .ps was what you sent to a commercial book printer; but those files are really huge (even larger than .pdf files) and wouldn't be too convenient for most purposes.

Most "commercial grade" notation programs, even the simplest ones, let you easily change the key in which your score is notated, if you want to print it in a different key. I don't use most of the programs discussed above in this thread enough though to know their capabilities, so can't comment there.

I may be getting too old to enjoy "make work" stuff, but I've generally found that "free" isn't really. The amount of work you have to do to get the result you really want is often too expensive, in time and effort, for an oldie like me. Kudos to those with the energy.

My recommendation to most like W.E., who seem to just want to get the job done, would likely be to pick a simple program and blow the bucks necessary to get on with the work. There are a number of pretty good programs (SWMBO uses PrintMusic, which isn't intolerably bad - but doesn't do tab) that don't require a lot of "inventing" to get decent print out, and that won't make a permanent dent in the budget.

There are a few shareware programs that are excellent; but it's really difficult to separate the ones that were created for some "special" purpose that doesn't quite fit your needs from the ones that do the job you want done. It's also hard for a beginner to distinguish the MIDI based ones from the score based, and to know which approach they really want to use.

Noteworthy has a particular "status" on the 'cat, and is worth learning, and having available. ABC is valuable if you are much into searching up tunes on the web. Neither is, in my opinion, the best way to print a few tunes to put in your personal notebook; but everyone gets different mileage...

I'm currently without a "program of choice," because my old Rhapsody didn't survive the transition to WinXP. Choosing a replacement would be a lot easier without past experience on what I don't like about the best known choices, but my own difficulties wouldn't be applicable to most new users.

John