Editing LilyPond (section)

==Software features==
[[File:BeethovenSymponyNo5.JPG|thumb|[[Ludwig van Beethoven|Beethoven]]'s [[Symphony No. 5 (Beethoven)|Symphony No. 5]] music sheet printed from a digitally engraved PDF file produced by LilyPond; released by the [[Mutopia Project]]]]
LilyPond's primary goal is to produce output comparable to professionally engraved scores instead of output that looks mechanical and computer-generated.  An essay from the LilyPond website, written by LilyPond developers, explains some typographical issues addressed by LilyPond:<ref>{{cite web|title=LilyPond - Essay on automated music engraving|url=http://lilypond.org/doc/v2.18/Documentation/essay/|access-date=December 23, 2017}}</ref>

* '''Optical font scaling''': depending on the staff size, the design of the music font is slightly altered; this is a feature that [[Donald Knuth|Donald Knuth's]] [[Computer Modern]] font is known for.  As a result, note heads become more rounded, and staff lines become thicker.
* '''Optical spacing''': stem directions are taken into account when spacing subsequent notes.
* '''Special ledger line handling''': [[ledger line]]s are shortened when accidentals are nearby, thus enhancing readability.
* '''Proportional spacing''': notes can be positioned in such a way that ''exactly'' reflects their duration.  For example, with this setting, the space between consecutive [[quarter note]]s is four times greater than between consecutive [[sixteenth note]]s.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lilypond.org/doc/v2.18/Documentation/notation/proportional-notation |title=Proportional notation |access-date=March 21, 2015 }}</ref>