If you want to use LaTeX equations in a presentation, rendering them properly in Microsoft PowerPoint isn’t intuitive. Luckily, there are a couple of methods for correctly displaying these equations for educational or scientific slideshows.
We’ll not only show you how to insert LaTeX in PowerPoint, but how to add relevant content about your equations using the Plus AI add-in.
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Copy and paste from Microsoft Word
While you can look at PowerPoint add-ins, and we’ll show you one below, the simplest way to insert LaTeX in PowerPoint is using Microsoft Word. Because Word offers a feature to create and correctly format LaTeX equations, it’s a simple copy and paste over to your PowerPoint slide.
Create the equation in Word
- Open Word, go to the Insert tab, and click Equation. You can also open the Equation drop-down menu and pick Insert New Equation.
- The Equation tab should automatically open at the same time, but if not, select the Equation box in the document and then open the Equation tab.
- Choose LaTeX in the Conversions section of the ribbon.
- Enter your equation in the box and press Enter.
Note: Rather than using single or double dollar signs to indicate the start and end of the equation, you’ll use backslashes in most cases. There are some exceptions to this along with certain keywords that are unsupported. Please check the Microsoft Support page for using UnicodeMath and LaTeX in Word.
- You should see your LaTeX equation render after you hit Enter.
Copy and paste the equation in PowerPoint
- Select the rendered equation in Word by dragging your cursor through it.
- Right-click and pick Copy.
- Go to the slide in PowerPoint, right-click, and pick Paste.
- You’ll then have your rendered equation in PowerPoint.
It’ll be formatted as text rather than an image, so keep this in mind for any font formatting you plan to apply.
If the equation doesn’t render properly, open the arrow on the right of the Equation box or the Convert menu in the ribbon and choose Professional.
Use the HoLaTeX add-in
If you prefer to go the add-in route for your PowerPoint equation, this is certainly another option. You’ll find a few different math tools in the Office Add-ins Store, but after trying them ourselves, HoLaTeX seems to be the easiest to use.
- Open PowerPoint, head to the Home tab, and select Add-ins in the ribbon.
- Search for “HoLaTeX”, select Add, and follow the subsequent prompts. Note that you’ll need to create an account to use the add-in, but you can use your existing Microsoft account.
- Once the add-in is installed, select it in the ribbon on the Home tab to display the sidebar.
- Click Create at the bottom of the sidebar, pick the Math tab, and choose an option. For our example, we simply select Calculus.
- Replace the sample text in the code box at the top with your equation. Be sure to start and end your equation with a dollar sign ($) as shown below.
- Click Run below the code box and you’ll see your equation preview at the bottom.
- To use the equation, select Insert.
You’ll see the equation added as an image and you can use the Picture Format tab to adjust its appearance if you like.
If you don’t want the name of the operation to display in your equation result, simply remove it from the code editor. Below, you can see we remove “Calculus” in line 6.
Tip: Look at ways to make PowerPoint slides that look good.
Save HoLaTeX equations
Optionally, give your equation a Name which you can do to the right of the Run button. This allows you to edit or reuse equations later.
You’ll see a list of your equations whenever you open HoLaTeX. Select one to open it in the editor to make changes or insert it.
Get help with mathematical content using Plus AI
If you plan to add content to your presentation with details for the equations you’re using, Plus AI for PowerPoint is the perfect tool for you. With it, you can enter a simple prompt to insert content about your equation.
You can also make other edits like rewriting text or remixing slide layouts.
Additionally, you can create entire presentations with Plus AI in PowerPoint. Whether an educational slideshow or business presentation, Plus AI is one of the smartest and most effective AI presentation makers.
Want to see more? Visit the Plus AI website for complete details on features, to view the template gallery, and to start your free trial!
Conclusion
Whether you decide to use Microsoft Word or an Office add-in, you can easily insert LaTeX into PowerPoint for your presentation. And with a few extra steps, you can add the perfect content to your slideshow with Plus AI.
FAQs
How do I insert an equation in PowerPoint?
Go to the Insert tab and select Equation in the Symbols group. When the Equation box appears, enter your equation inside. You can also use the tools and symbols on the Equation tab to enter or edit the equation.
How do you show formulas in LaTeX?
If you use Microsoft Word to create your formula, you can switch to the view you initially entered using LaTeX. Click the arrow on the right side of the Equation box and choose Linear. You can then switch back to the rendered view by choosing Professional in that same drop-down menu.
How do you copy and paste equations in PowerPoint?
You can copy and paste an Equation box in PowerPoint like any other object. Select it, right-click, and pick Copy. Then, right-click and pick Paste. Alternatively, you can use the menu on the Home tab or keyboard shortcuts.
