# Palettes

This chapter shows you how to customize the [palettes](https://handbook.musescore.org/basics/using-the-palettes) and their contents; the application of palette items is already covered in [Using the palettes](https://handbook.musescore.org/basics/using-the-palettes) (Basics).

## Adding palettes

To add a preset or a custom palette, see [Using the palettes: Adding more palettes](https://handbook.musescore.org/basics/using-the-palettes#adding-more-palettes).

## Hiding and deleting palettes

To hide a *preset* palette, right click on it and select **Hide palette**. The palette is returned to the **Add Palettes** list (see above). Note that preset palettes cannot be deleted.

To hide or delete a *custom* palette you have created earlier, right click on it and select **Hide/Delete palette**. Then follow the instructions in the dialog.

## Changing the order of palettes

To change the order of a palette simply drag it up or down and drop it onto the desired position in the palettes list.

## Customizing palette contents

Palettes can be populated with items from the **Master Palette** (<kbd>Shift</kbd>+<kbd>F9</kbd> or **View→Master palette**), or from an opened score.

Score items, when added to a palette, are saved with their custom properties.

To enable/disable editing for a particular palette:

1. Right-click on the palette name; or click on the ellipsis symbol (three dots) to the right of the palette name
2. Check/uncheck **Enable editing**.

### Adding elements from the Master Palette window

To add a symbol from the **Master Palette** to a palette in the **Palettes** panel:

1. Open the desired palette, make sure editing is enabled (see [Customizing palette contents](#customizing-palette-contents)).
2. Open the **Master Palette** (<kbd>Shift</kbd>+<kbd>F9</kbd> or **View→Master palette**)
3. Drag and drop symbols from the relevant section(s) of the Master palette to the ordinary palette as required.

If you have created a **custom palette**, there is another way to access the **Master Palette**:

1. Open the custom palette
2. Click on the **More** button
3. Use the arrow buttons to navigate through the various sections of the Master Palette window
4. Select on a symbol
5. Press **Add to my custom** to add it to the custom palette
6. To exit the dialog, click once more on the **More** button, or press <kbd>Esc</kbd>, or click outside the **More** section.

### Adding elements from the score

To add score elements to a palette:

1. Open the desired palette
2. Press <kbd>Ctrl</kbd>+<kbd>Shift</kbd> (Mac: <kbd>Cmd</kbd>+<kbd>Shift</kbd>), then drag and drop the score element to the open palette.

### Moving elements between palettes

Symbols can be moved from one open palette to another simply by dragging and dropping them.

### Deleting elements from palettes

To delete an element in a palette, right-click on it and select **Delete**. In the case of *preset* palettes, the element will be moved to the **More** section. For *custom* palettes you are offered a choice of **Hide** (send element to the More section) or **Delete permanently**.

### Resetting a palette

To reset a palette to its default state, right-click on the palette name, or click on the ellipsis symbol (three dots) to the right of the palette name; then select **Reset palette**.

**Note:** A custom palette will be reset to an empty palette when this function is applied.

## Saving and loading palettes

To *save* a palette, right-click on the palette name, or click on the ellipsis symbol (three dots) to the right of the palette name; then select **Save palette**.

To *load* a previously-saved palette, right-click on a palette name, or click on the ellipsis symbol (three dots) to the right of the palette name; then select **Load palette** and navigate to the desired palette, select it and click **Open**.

## Palettes menu

To access display options for the palettes area, click on the ellipsis symbol (three dots) to the right of the **Palettes** title at the top of the palettes area.

<figure><img src="https://3455969201-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FP81HaeapLzzJGtG6DSwH%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-55c21bb9f907dd93d79d64fb4323359770579059%2Fpalette_options.png?alt=media" alt="Palette options"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

* **Single-click to open a Palette**: Uncheck this if you want to open a palette by double-clicking.
* **Open only one Palette at a time**: if this option is checked, when you open a palette other palettes automatically close.
* **Collapse all Palettes**: Closes all open palettes.
* **Expand all Palettes**: Opens all palettes.
* **Close**: Palettes panel closes.
* **Undock**: Undocks the palettes panel. See also [Windows and panels](https://handbook.musescore.org/toolbars-and-windows#windows-and-panels).

## Palette properties

To access *Palette properties* for individual palettes, right-click on the palette name, or click on the ellipsis symbol (three dots) to the right of the palette name; then select **Palette properties**.

This allows you to rename the palette, create a visible grid to separate elements, adjust width and height of cells, and change the scale and offset of the symbols.

## See also

* [Using the palettes](https://handbook.musescore.org/basics/using-the-palettes) for info about how to apply palette items.
* [Other symbols](https://handbook.musescore.org/notation/expressive-markings/other-symbols) for more info about the **Symbols palette**.