Fingering numbers sit close to the notehead, on the side opposite the stem, never colliding with the stem or beam

A fingering number is placed immediately adjacent to its notehead — above the notehead when the stem points down, below or to the side when the stem points up — always on the side that keeps the number clear of the stem, beam, and any slur/articulation already occupying that side.

Once rendering is implemented: a fingering number placed on the stem side overlaps the stem or an adjacent beam, or is positioned far enough from the notehead that its association with that specific note becomes ambiguous in a chord or dense passage.

Gould Fingering (piano) — placed close to the notehead, on the side away from the stem; Read similar guidance for string fingering.

This rule is about where marks land on the page, so it can only be judged after engraving. Collision and spacing faults live here.