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What does Preserve Width mean?

You will see the option to Preserve Width in dialog boxes under Expression Placement. One example is Insert: Text. If you select Preserve Width, the text will take up its own width on the staff and notes will start after the text. If you do not select Preserve Width, the text will not take any width on the staff. In this case, text placed at the top of the staff will allow notes to be entered under the text. If you do not Preserve Width, the symbol or text you are entering will appear with a diamond beside it. Since the item has no width of its own, the diamond gives you something to select for editing or deleting. The diamond will not appear in your prints.

Text entered with Insert: Text can be deleted, copied and pasted and edited. Depending on whether you Preserved Width or not, the focus of the commands will be different. If you Preserved Width, the focus will be on the text. If you did not Preserve Width, the focus will be the diamond.

To delete the text, place the insertion point to the left of the focus and press delete. Or, place the insertion point to the right of the focus and press back space. Or, select the focus and press delete. To copy the text, select the focus and press Ctrl+C. To edit the text, select the focus and press Alt+Enter.