Fonts and mathematic equations

Question

Level 2

211 points

Fonts and mathematic equations

Hello All,

I am using equations within iBooks Author with MathType 6.7.

I am not happy with the results and the fonts being used.

Does anyone know a better way of presenting equations and what is the best font that actually has the full maths symbols?

I am looking for something that has a better consistency in style and x-height.

I also see that Lucidia Maths (Extensions, Symbols and Italic) looks like it has most of the symbols but that is also three different fonts sets and a cost for each font.

Appreciate all and any help here.

Regards,

Nigel

Posted on Oct 14, 2014 2:35 AM

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Answer 1

Nigel Baker Author

Level 2

211 points

Oct 17, 2014 7:17 AM in response to Mac_fool

Hello All,

Thank you very kindly for getting back and apologies for the delayed response.

I have included two images to highlight my experience to date.

As you can see in the first image from MathType the equation is displayed as it should be in the correct font.

Then in the second image within iBooks Author the font reverts to something like a Times New Roan, even though the font is set to the same font

within the menu selection in iBooks Author. As you can see from the images the fonts are different once the equation comes back into iBooks Author.

Additional note:

I have found a free san serif font out there from a Polish typographer and has all the mathematical symbols for anyone else looking.

LINK: http://jmn.pl/en/kolekcja-tex-gyre/

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Answer 2

Nigel Baker Author

Level 2

211 points

Oct 28, 2014 7:31 AM in response to Nigel Baker

Hello All,

A new issue appeared this week with fonts, mathematic symbols and iBooks Author.

I have been trying out three fonts and three different sizes and have discovered when viewing the end results it is different from iBA2 and iBooks on the Desk Top to iBooks on the iPad. Here are two screen shots.

The second line of type is using Apples STIX General and that font also is not working correctly with iBooks on the iPad.

Any opinions and tips would be very welcomed at this stage.

Regards,

Nigel

iPad Version — Incorrect font and tracking and sizes.

Desk-Top iBooks Version shows the correct results.

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Answer 3

Oct 22, 2014 4:06 PM in response to Nigel Baker

Hi Nigel -- and thanks to Tom for the mention. Yep, I'm here, but I've been on vacation (or holiday, depending on where you live) for 12 days and have only returned to the office today.

I wasn't able to view your screen shots (nothing happened when I clicked the link), but I believe I understand the issue. The issue isn't a bug in either iBA nor MathType; it's expected behavior. As you know, you can indeed change the fonts in MathType to your liking -- or at least mostly so. In iBA, you can do so with text as well, but not with equations. (You can change the font color of an equation by changing the surrounding text, but not the font face.) You've already discovered iBA uses MathML to represent and render equations. This is true no matter which of the 3 methods of inserting equations you're using (MathML, LaTeX, or MathType). There's a different means of setting font in MathML, but iBA doesn't make it easy to do so. These are things that only Apple can change. If you're so inclined, here's a feedback link to let them know how this impacts you: http://www.apple.com/feedback/ibooks-author.html.

We have an article about using MathType with iBA, but it doesn't address fonts. I need to correct that. Meanwhile, here's the article: http://www.dessci.com/en/support/MathType/works_with.asp#!target=ibooks_author_m ac.

Bob Mathews

Design Science

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Answer 4

Tom Gewecke

Level 10

118,206 points

Oct 14, 2014 8:36 AM in response to Nigel Baker

I'm not sure how MathType operates with regard to font choice. You might want to try their forums. There is also a Mr.MathType who posts in the Pages forum who might be able to help:

Mr.MathType

Have you tried the Latex or mathml options in iBA to see if the results are any better?

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Answer 5

Nigel Baker Author

Level 2

211 points

Oct 14, 2014 8:45 AM in response to Tom Gewecke

Hello Tom,

Thanks for replying back to me.

Yes to Latex and no to MathML all produce varying x-heights and styles and looks. Nothing I am happy with that sits well with the already created content in Helvetica Neue within iBooks Author.

STIX General is working so far on some elements once I change the font size but then there is a difference in the weight of the characters which affects the over all colour / feel of the passage of work on the page.

Regards,

Nigel

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Answer 6

Mac_fool

Level 2

153 points

Oct 15, 2014 12:42 AM in response to Nigel Baker

I've not really used Mathtype in tendam with iBA, but I know you can change the font, size and spacing of the equations in Mathtype, and then save these to a preference file for that particular job. Have you played around with these?

It's also well worth contacting Design Science. Although they haven't often helped me to cure an issue, understanding what the issue is is always a bonus;)

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Answer 7

Nigel Baker Author

Level 2

211 points

Oct 23, 2014 4:12 AM in response to Mr.MathType

Hello Mr.MathType,

Appreciate the time taken to explain the issue.

From my point of view then it really is an iBooks Author issue, that for the time being I will have to live with.

Or by pass by dragging and dropping equations in a PDF format into iBooks Author, which is what I wanted to avoid to allow for corrections during the build process, but alas at least I know the reason why.

Again thank you for the advise and to Tom earlier on.

Regards,

Nigel

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Answer 8

Nigel Baker Author

Level 2

211 points

Oct 28, 2014 8:16 AM in response to Tom Gewecke

Hello Tom,

Thanks for getting back to me.

I thought the only limitation with the font sets was what year it was created in.

I can't remember now off hand what I read about fonts and what year they had to be made after but it was in one of the iBA documentations.

As you might notice I am using other fonts which are not default fonts and they are embedding fine.

Additionally as the preview is happening and updating on the iPad for a brief moment you can see the correct layout and fonts but then settles back to the screen grab above.

Regards,

Nigel

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Answer 9

Tom Gewecke

Level 10

118,206 points

Oct 28, 2014 8:40 AM in response to Nigel Baker

It is important not to rely on the Preview feature to see what is really going to happen. Export your book to .ibooks format and then transfer that file to the device and open it in iBooks.

Indeed the STIX fonts should be embedded, but iBA does not always behaving perfectly in that area.

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Answer 10

Nigel Baker Author

Level 2

211 points

Oct 29, 2014 2:48 AM in response to Nigel Baker

Hello All,

An update to the font and mathematical symbols and equations.

The font Apple Symbol seems to be able to do the job. It is transferring over to the iPad version of the iBook.

A lot of tweaking having to change each individual font size so the x height is adjusted to look similar fitting in with the rest of the text on the same page.

So for now it is looking better and I hope as I move along through the book that nothing else arises.

Thanks to everyone who read and replied to the thread it was a great help.

Regards,

Nigel

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Answer 11

Tom Gewecke

Level 10

118,206 points

Oct 14, 2014 6:29 AM in response to Nigel Baker

Apple provides for free with OS X a set of fonts named STIX designed especially for Math.

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Answer 12

Nigel Baker Author

Level 2

211 points

Oct 14, 2014 6:44 AM in response to Tom Gewecke

Hello Tom,

Appreciate the reply.

On first impression nothing seems to change while changing the font to STIX.

Regards,

Nigel

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Answer 13

Tom Gewecke

Level 10

118,206 points

Oct 14, 2014 9:04 AM in response to Nigel Baker

Maybe it would help to post a screen shot of part of page that includes both text and equation to illustrate the problem.

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Answer 14

Tom Gewecke

Level 10

118,206 points

Oct 28, 2014 7:56 AM in response to Nigel Baker

I think the STIX fonts are not actually included in the iPad. Nevertheless iBA should embed them, or iBooks should download them if they are used by the author.

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Answer 15

Nigel Baker Author

Level 2

211 points

Oct 28, 2014 8:55 AM in response to Tom Gewecke

Hello Tom,

Oh excellent idea, I will have a look at that.

Thinking outside of the box, brilliant…

Regards,

Nigel

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