Re: Overstretching
Lawrie,
of course your idea works, but I fear the moment in which a friend asks me: "I can't read it so small, print it bigger, please" or "compact it so it fits in less pages, please".
Thems the breaks 
Rick,
I know what we mean with "digital whiteout" (I already asked long ago :-) but I'm not able to grasp your suggestion. Could you please elaborate?
Today I feel more dumb than usual, sorry.
Rick is suggesting covering the extended bar with white objects thus making the staff visually shorter than those that preceed it. E.G a 1 bar staff that is only about as long as 1 bar in any other staff.