Editing Music engraving (section)

=== Hand copying ===
Historically, a musician was required to draw their own [[staff (music)|staff]] lines (staves) onto blank paper. Eventually, staff paper was manufactured pre-printed with staves as a labor-saving technique. The musician could then write music directly onto the lines in pencil or ink.

In the twentieth century, music staff paper was sometimes printed on [[vellum]] or [[onionskin]]—a durable, semi-transparent material that made it easier for the musician to correct mistakes and revise the work, and also made it possible to reproduce the manuscript through the [[ozalid|ozalid process]]. Also at this time, a [[music copyist]] was often employed to hand-copy individual parts (for each performer) from a composer's full score. Neatness, speed, and accuracy were desirable traits of a skilled copyist.