What is good music engraving?

Good music engraving works just like good book typography. It does its job and stays in the background. If you’re reading and you completely forget you’re reading, simply absorbed in the story, then you’re experiencing good book typography.

Music engraving is the same. If you’re so immersed in the music that you forget the notation itself, that’s good music engraving. But if you have to stop time and again, squint your eyes, and lose track every time you turn the page, then the engraving is getting in the way.

Put simply, good music engraving gives you the full experience of the music. It lets you become completely absorbed.