An articulation mark must sit within a fixed distance band from its notehead — neither touching it nor floating disconnected

Distinct from WHICH side the mark sits on (vs-articulation-notehead-side-default): the mark must be close enough to read as attached to its own note, and far enough not to visually merge with the notehead ink.

A staccato dot renders touching the notehead's edge (reads as a smudge on the notehead) or, at the opposite extreme, several sp away from it (reads as belonging to the wrong note).

Gould, Behind Bars, ch. 'Articulation'; general engraving convention on modifier-to-notehead clearance, same family as vs-accidental-notehead-clearance's gap rule for the opposite side of the note.

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