Using vectors in word

Create a vector with an arrow above

Word offers different ways how to create a vector in the document:

   I.  Using the Equation:

This way is perfect if you do not need to care about the format and compatibility with previous versions of Microsoft Office (a recommended approach for physical science and mathematics that require a lot of math in the text with consistent fonts for all equations and symbols):

   1.   In the paragraph where you want to insert the vector, then click Alt+= to insert the equitation block:

   2.   In the equitation block, type the vector magnitude and select it. It can be one letter, several letters, or even an expression.

For example: .

   3.   On the Equation tab, in the Structures group, click the Accent button:

In the Accent list, choose Bar or Rightwards Arrow Above:

  or  

Note: If you want to continue working with this equation, click the right arrow twice to exit the box below the vector:  →  → . So, to continue working with the equation, it should not have any selected data:

   II.  Using AutoCorrect for Math:

When you work with many documents and often need to paste a single special symbol, you do not need to insert an equation each time. Microsoft Word offers a helpful feature named AutoCorrect. The AutoCorrect options in Microsoft Word propose two different ways to add any special character quickly, or even large pieces of text:

• Using the Replace text as you type function of the AutoCorrect options.
• Using the Math AutoCorrect options:

Using this method, you can benefit from the Math AutoCorrect options without inserting an equation. To turn on or turn off the AutoCorrect of the Math symbols, do the following:

   1.   On the File tab, click Options:

   2.   In the Word Options dialog box, on the
Proofing tab, click the AutoCorrect Options… button:

   3.   In the AutoCorrect dialog box, on the Math AutoCorrect tab, select the Use Math AutoCorrect rules outside of the math regions option:

After clicking OK, you can use any of the listed Names of symbols, and Microsoft Word will replace them with the appropriate symbols:

Note: If you do not need the last replacement, click Ctrl+Z to cancel it.

   III.  Using a Symbol dialog box:

Microsoft Word offers a convenient ability to combine two characters (see
Superimposing characters). To add some element to a symbol, such as a bar, apostrophe, etc., enter a symbol and immediately insert a vector mark from the Combining Diacritical Marks for Symbols subset of any font (if it exists).

To combine an element with the entered symbol, open the Symbol dialog box:

On the Insert tab, in the Symbols group, select the Symbol button, and then click More Symbols…:

On the Symbol dialog box:

• In the Font list, select the Segoe IU Symbol font,
• Optionally, to find symbols faster, in the Subset list, select the Combining Diacritical Marks for Symbols subset,
• Select the symbol:

  

• Click the Insert button to insert the symbol,
• Click the OK button to close the Symbol dialog box.

Create a vector with a tilde under the letter

As for regular vector sign, word offers several ways how to create a vector with a tilde underneath a letter:

   I.  Using the Equation:

   1.   In the paragraph where you want to insert the vector, then click Alt+= to insert the equitation block:

   2.   In the equitation block, type one by one:

• the vector variable, for example, the letter a,
• type below:

  

• type the tilde symbol ~. Word automatically changes the command below to the appropriate symbol:

  

After pressing a space bar, Word displays the letter with the tilde under it:

   II.  Using a Symbol dialog box:

To combine an element with the entered symbol (for example, the letter a), open the Symbol dialog box:

   1.   On the Insert tab, in the Symbols group, select the Symbol button, and then click More Symbols….

   2.   On the Symbol dialog box:

• In the Font list, select the Cambria Math or Lucinda Sans Unicode font,
• Optionally, to find symbols faster, in the Subset list, select the Combining Diacritical Marks subset,
• Select the symbol:

  

• Click the Insert button to insert the symbol,
• Click the OK button to close the Symbol dialog box.

The advantage of a scalable vector graphics over bitmap images (JPG, PNG, GIF, etc.), is that they can be resized and still look sharp. An added advantage is that they require less storage space. So the Word document with SVG graphics embedded will also be smaller.

Word 2019 (and Office 365) allow for direct importing of SVG files, so you can import files directly without using an intermediate graphics format. Importing SVG files from Inkscape for example does not require you to export to EMF (Windows Enhanced Metafile) anymore before loading the image in Word.

Insert SVG as Picture in Word

Learn how to insert a scalable vector graphics in Microsoft Word 2019 with these steps:

1. In the Ribbon in Word, select the Insert tab and then click Pictures.
   
2. In the drop-down menu, select This Device…
   This allows you to browse to the SVG file on your computer.
3. Next, navigate to the location of the SVG file, select it and click the Insert button.
   

Note: You can use this same method to insert SVG files into other Office 2019 applications (e.g. Excel, PowerPoint).

After inserting the SVG into Word, you can use the Format options to change some of the display and rendering options. To actually change the SVG itself, you need an editor for scalable vector graphics, like Adobe Illustrator, or Inkscape.

Copy & Paste SVG in Word

In addition to the method described above to insert an SVG in Word, it is also possible to use the Windows copy + paste function to insert an SVG image into Word. For this to work, you do need to have an SVG viewer installed that allows you to copy the SVG image to the clipboard. By default, Windows will use a browser to view SVG files. This will not support a simple copy + paste operation. Neither Edge, Chrome, nor Firefox allows you to copy + paste an opened SVG file.

In Internet Explorer (IE) it is still possible, simply open the SVG file by right-clicking the file and then use the Open with option to select Internet Explorer.

Once the SVG file is loaded in IE and displayed in the browser window, you can right-click the image, and select the Copy option in the popup menu.

Now, you can switch to MS Word and paste the SVG into the document.

As an example, I also used some of my favorite image programs, Irfanview, and GIMP, to load and view an SVG file. Once loaded, I can select the image and copy it. Switch to MS Word, select the location for the SVG image, and paste it (Ctrl + V).

As is visible from the examples below, this can have some side effects. Irfanview loads and dsiplays the SVG with a different rendering than the original. The copy + paste result from Irfanview is exactly what we see in Irfanview itself (which is not correct).

You can see that the horizontal lines do not belong in the image, and the beak and eyes are also different.

If we try the same with GIMP, the result is better.

In short, the option to use copy + paste to insert an SVG in Word will work, but it is important to use an SVG viewer that properly supports and renders the SVG image. In the example IE, Irfanview and GIMP were used, but there are other solutions to do this as well.

Solve SVG import problems in Word

The problem with the SVG format is that they are not all created the same. So, importing an SVG file into MS Word might not always give you the desired result. We have seen examples in the earlier sections. But if there is really no way to get the SVG image looking like the original in MS Word 2019, there are a few other things you can try.

1. Use an alternative intermediate format. In the example of Inkscape, we already mentioned the Windows Enhanced Metafile format. Exporting your SVG file into another vector file format allows the drawing to the edited in Word after importing the image. Other examples of such formats are Adobe Illustrator (.ai) and Encapsulated PostScript (EPS). These are all vector formats that keep the original quality of the graphic.
2. Open and save the SVG file in another editor. If the origin of your SVG is unknown, you can try opening the SVG file in a graphic editor that supports SVG, check it, and then save it as a copy. Try importing the copy into MS Word.
3. Export the graphics to a bitmap file format (also referred to as a pixel or raster format). This will ensure that the graphic is captured and imported exactly as shown. The drawback, in this case, is that it does not scale and is not editable anymore.

FAQs

What is SVG?

Can Word read SVG files?

Can Word save SVG files?

What can open an SVG?

What is SVG used for?

SVG Image Attribution: lewing@isc.tamu.edu Larry Ewing and The GIMP

This book is about the Math Builder (officially called as Equation Editor) tool in Microsoft Word and Outlook 2007 and higher. It also applies to Microsoft PowerPoint and Excel 2010 and higher. Note that this is a different tool than the legacy tool Equation Editor 3.0 (which is still available on 32-bit Office versions until the January 2018 update^[1]) and MathType.

Typesetting mathematics on a computer has always been a challenge. The mathematical community almost universally accepts a typesetting language called LaTeX. Math Builder is a much easier to use tool that has less functionality than LaTeX but more than typical document processing. Microsoft call this hybrid language the Office Math Markup Language, or OMML for short. It is an appropriate tool for:

• Typing any document whose focus is not itself mathematics.
• Typing a short math document quickly.
• A stepping stone between word processing (MS Word) and typesetting (LaTeX)

Note that Math Builder does not perform any mathematics; it is a tool for displaying it.

Pros and Cons[edit | edit source]

Pros:

• Math Builder is WYSIWYG: after typing an equation you see immediately what it looks like.
• It’s easy to get started: it’s already built in to Microsoft Word. Common symbols have point-and-click icons.
• It’s easy to use: Common symbols have keyboard shortcuts so that a veteran user need not use a mouse at all.
• Nearly all symbols use the same commands as LaTeX.
• The format used is non-proprietary and given in Unicode Technical Note #28.
• It can be used in Outlook to easily write equations in emails; it renders as images to the recipent.

Cons:

• Some uncommon symbols are not listed in the menu and require knowing the keyboard shortcut. Typically this is the LaTeX code for the symbol.
• There are differences between Math Builder and LaTeX code: advanced functionality that requires more than just a symbol tend to follow the same flavor but have slightly different syntax. Math Builder code tends to be shorter than LaTeX code and disappears upon completion to the WYSIWYG output. Examples here are matrices, multiple aligned equations, and binomial coefficients.
• No LaTeX typesetting tools such as labels and references are implemented.
• No highly advanced LaTeX tools such as graphing, commutative diagrams, or geometric shapes are implemented. (Note:- Geometric shapes are otherwise available in the Insert ribbon)
• Students studying mathematics might not be motivated to learn LaTeX because they might be able to get by with Equation Builder in Word to satisfy the vast majority of their needs. However, when such a student reaches the limits, unlike LaTeX there is absolutely no recourse to expand the program to satisfy it.

Inserting an equation[edit | edit source]

Microsoft Word has two different typing environments: text and math. To obtain the math environment, click on «Equation» on the «Insert» ribbon on Windows or Word for Mac ’16, or in «Document Elements» on Word for Mac ’11. The keyboard shortcut is «alt»+ «=». For a Mac system, the shortcut is control + «=». Everything you type in this environment is considered math: all automatic formatting of text is disabled. To exit the math environment, click on any text outside the math environment. One easy way to do this is by pressing the right arrow key.

Common Mathematics[edit | edit source]

Fractions[edit | edit source]

There are multiple ways to display a fraction. The default is vertically aligned as illustrated below. Obtain this by typing the fraction and pressing space: 1/2

Linear fraction (resp. skewed fraction) is obtained using ldiv (resp. sdiv) and pressing space (twice) or by typing 1 ldiv 2 (resp. 1 sdiv 2) and pressing space. While you can also do this by right-clicking on the equation and clicking Linear, this affects the whole equation and not just the fraction.

Parenthesis, brackets, and braces[edit | edit source]

Grouping symbols will automatically size to the appropriate size. These symbols include «(), {}, [], ||». For instance, the expression below can be obtained with (1/2(x+1)):

Be careful to press space after the «2» to render the fraction, otherwise Word might put «x+1» in the denominator. Also press space after typing every closing parenthesis «)», which will adjust both the opening and closing parentheses size to fit the group’s contents. Because the 1/2 fraction is is quite tall, the outer parentheses need to be adjusted to enclose the fraction appropriately. To be exact, the key presses required to reproduce the equation above are ( 1 / 2 space ( x + 1 ) space ) space.

Exponents and subscripts[edit | edit source]

Exponents can be obtained by using «^» and subscripts by «_». The monomial below can be obtained by typing x_2^5 or x^5_2 and pressing space.

Symbols: etc[edit | edit source]

These are all common symbols. The easiest thing to do would be to find a LaTeX reference sheet. A few of those symbols are shown here:

code	output
neq or /=
leq or <= (resp. geq or >= )	(resp )
subseteq
vee
rightarrow
Rightarrow
times
div
pm
infty
otimes (resp. oplus)	(resp. )
hbar
partial

Greek, Script, and Fraktur letters[edit | edit source]

The math environment implements 3 fronts in addition to the default.

Blackboard Bold letters[edit | edit source]

Blackboard bold letters can be obtained by typing «» followed by «double» followed by the letter. doubled doubleD produces

Mathematical Physics[edit | edit source]

Vectors[edit | edit source]

A vector is often denoted by an overhead right arrow, which can be obtained by following a letter variable with «vec»: . Unit vectors (e.g. ) are denoted by a hat (circumflex), which can be obtained by following a letter variable with «hat». The gradient (also known as del or nabla) operator may be displayed using «nabla».

Newtonian Dot Notation[edit | edit source]

Dot notation for time derivatives (e.g. )
can be obtained by following a letter variable with «dot» for a first derivative and «ddot» for a second derivative.

Vector Products[edit | edit source]

The dot product (inner product) can be displayed using the centered dot symbol «cdot» e.g. the divergence . The cross product can be displayed using «times» e.g. the curl .

Matrices[edit | edit source]

Matrices are obtained with the «matrix» symbol. Use parentheses to start and end the matrix. Use «@» to separate rows, and «&» to separate columns. The matrix below can be created by typing [matrix(1&2&3@4&5&6)].

Multiple Aligned Equations[edit | edit source]

Aligning equations can be obtained with the «eqarray» symbol. Use parentheses to start and end the matrix. Use «@» to separate equations. Use «&» to specify alignment and whitespace. The first «&» and then every other occurrence is alignment. The second and then every other occurrence is white space. The equations below can be obtained by typing the following text:

eqarray(2&x+&3&y=5@&x+&&y=7)

(The math environment here seems to be adding excess space between the alignments that doesn’t occur in Word)

Radicals[edit | edit source]

Radicals are obtained using the «sqrt» symbol, followed by the index, then «&», then the radicand.

For example: sqrt(a&b) will output .

Additionally, sqrt(x) will simply output .

Integrals[edit | edit source]

code	output
int
int_a^b
iint_a^b
iiint_a^b
oint_a
oiint_a	∯ Double oriented integral (No corresponding Wikibooks math symbol)
oiiint_a	∰ Triple oriented integral (No corresponding Wikibooks math symbol)
coint_a	∲ Clockwise oriented integral (No corresponding Wikibooks math symbol)

Integrals are obtained by inserting the desired integral symbol (see above table), and then pressing space twice.^[2]

For example: int_a^b space space 1/x space dx will output

Inline versus Display[edit | edit source]

Equations have two forms. Inline specifies that the equation is to be in line with text. This affects a few expressions to make them appear smaller. For instance fractions will use a smaller font. Summations and integrals will place the endpoints to the right of the symbol instead of below it.
Display specifies to use as much space as needed. Display mode equations must appear on their own line.

Modifying and creating shortcuts[edit | edit source]

Everything in Math Builder requires special symbols that the computer knows how to interpret. These symbols are constructed with all the commands starting with «» as illustrated in the above sections. This is implemented via math autocorrect which you can modify. For instance, you might like to use ra instead of rightarrow. You can do this by adding the command to the math autocorrect directory.

References[edit | edit source]

1. ↑ https://support.office.com/en-us/article/Equation-Editor-6eac7d71-3c74-437b-80d3-c7dea24fdf3f
2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module ‘Module:Citation/CS1/Suggestions’ not found.