Math font size inconsistency in Keynote (equation vs text box)

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Level 1

4 points

Math font size inconsistency in Keynote (equation vs text box)

Consider two cases to add math equations.

insert an equation (insert > equation)
insert a text box, and add an equation inside the box (double click the box & option+command+E)

It seems that the font size of an equation inside the box is affected by the choice of the font, which should be irrelevant (an equation has no font choice!). See below for 1) text box menlo, 2) equation 3) text box Helvetica Neue with all in 48pt.

I am unsure why it makes sense. Is there a way to get consistency in font size for equations either inside or outside a box?

MacOS 10.15.5

Keynote version 10.0 (6748)

MacBook Pro 13″, macOS 10.15

Posted on Jun 17, 2020 12:25 PM

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Answer 1

VikingOSX

Level 10

123,470 points

Jun 18, 2020 8:13 AM in response to sanghack

There is no means to achieve consistency between an embedded equation font and size, and what is produced when an equation is inserted within a Text box. Two different animals. In LaTeX, one can force a designated font for an equation but that requires a particular (fontspec) package, and the equation editor in Keynote (or Pages) eschews all LaTeX packages.

The equation editor embeds a MathML equation object using predefined fonts that are known to the Blahtex LaTeX to MathML translator. It knows nothing about the current Keynote font in use when it does that embed.

However in the Text box, one cannot embed any other document object within it, so the Equation editor converts its output to the default text within the Text box, which happens to be the current Keynote font setting. If that font is the default Helvetica Neue Regular at 11 point, that is what you get.

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Math font size inconsistency in Keynote (equation vs text box)

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