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Word and PowerPoint

How to Insert an Equation in PowerPoint

By imagetolatex team · Published

In PowerPoint for Windows or Mac, click inside a text box and choose Insert > Symbols > Equation (or press Alt+=); the Equation tab opens with the same tools as Word. PowerPoint for the web has no Equation button, so there the practical route is inserting the formula as an image.

1. Insert > Symbols > Equation

  1. Step 1: Pick a text boxClick inside an existing text box or placeholder, or draw one with Insert > Text Box.
  2. Step 2: Insert the equationChoose Insert > Symbols > Equation, or press Alt+=. To start from a common formula, open the arrow below Equation and choose one.
  3. Step 3: Type the mathUse the Equation tab structures or type linear codes such as a/b and x^2 followed by Space.
  4. Step 4: Style itEquations behave like text: change size and color from the Home tab.

Microsoft says LaTeX input is a Word feature; PowerPoint equations use UnicodeMath. To use LaTeX, build the equation in Word's LaTeX mode first, or use the image route below.

2. Ink Equation (handwriting)

Open the arrow under Insert > Equation and choose Ink Equation. Write the formula with a mouse, pen or finger; PowerPoint shows its interpretation above the writing area. Fix misread parts with Erase or Select and Correct, then click Insert. The result is an editable equation.

3. As an image (PowerPoint for the web, or any version)

If the Equation button is missing, you are probably in PowerPoint for the web, which does not have it. Render the formula as an image instead: write the LaTeX in LaTeX to PNG, keep the background transparent, download a PNG (or an SVG, which stays sharp when resized) and add it with Insert > Pictures.

The LaTeX to PNG tool rendering a squared-sum formula with PNG, SVG and JPG options and a transparent background
LaTeX to PNG: choose PNG or SVG, size and color, and download an image for the slide.

An image cannot be edited as math later. Keep the LaTeX (the tool's Share link stores it in the link) so you can change the formula and download it again.

FAQ

Why is there no Equation option under Insert?
PowerPoint for the web does not support equations. Open the file in the desktop app, or insert the formula as an image.
Can I paste LaTeX into a PowerPoint equation?
Not as LaTeX; PowerPoint reads UnicodeMath. Build the equation in Word with LaTeX input and copy it to the slide, or use a PNG/SVG image.
How do I make the equation bigger?
Select the equation box and change the font size on the Home tab, like any text.
Can I animate parts of an equation?
Animations apply to the whole text box. Split the parts into separate text boxes if you want them to appear one by one.

Sources

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