How do you add fractions to a Pages document?

Go onto the internet and search for "fraction symbols". When you find the ones you like, open Pages, click Pages from the top ribbon and select Preferences. Select auto- correction. Click the + box at the bottom of the screen, then in the left hand column type the fraction you want, e.g. 1/2, then copy the fraction from the website you have located with fractions showing correctly and paste it into the right hand side. Add more fractions using the same method. Ensure that the Symbol and text substitution box is ticked. Then when wishing to insert a proper fraction into a Pages document, type the fraction, e.g. 1/2 then when you see the substitute appear, hit the space bar.

Why not take advantage of Edit menu : Emoji & Symbols to pop open the character palette, instead of wandering around the web? In the character palette search window, just type fractions. You can then double-click any of these fractions to insert them into System Preferences : Keyboard panel : Text : With column — for Pages versions newer than Pages '09 v4.3 and older than Pages v6.3.

In Pages v6.3 or later, or Pages '09, you can open Pages Preferences : Auto-Correction and check Symbol and text replacement. Then you can double-click the fractions from paragraph one to place them into the With column here. Same drill with Pages '09.

In Pages v6 and later, you can choose Insert menu : Equation… and enter: ^5/_6 to get the vulgar fraction ⅚ when you need a custom inline fraction not available through the character palette. If the numerator and denominator are multiple digits, then group them like ^{15}_{16}.

The division symbol is the wrong character here.

Use the fraction glyphs where available (the first row below)
and super/sub numerators to either side of the fraction divider U+2044 to get consistency:

Note how a correctly set fraction sits neatly on the font baseline.

Peter

This is how I do it using Pages '09 v4.3:

1. Type the numerator.
2. Press Opt + Shift +1 to insert the division symbol ⁄.
3. Type the denominator and then press the space key.
4. Select the denominator (be sure you don't select the space character) and choose Format > Font > Baseline > Subscript.
5. Select the numerator and choose Format > Font > Baseline > Superscript. The division symbol will shrink to match the size of the digits.
6. To continue typing, place the insertion point to the right of the space character.

Example: ¹²³⁄₄₅₆ .

Peter

NB To add to Viking's good description: To find the Numerator numbers Search on "super", and the Denominator numbers search on "Sub" in the Characters Inspector.

Peter

Thank you. Good solution. Previously I got as far as the Emoji & Symbols and scrolled up and down the categories with no success finding fractions. Thanks for putting me onto the right direction with the search function.

Post script: The fraction looked more natural in my Pages document.

Peter

Better seen where I have maintained the same font size and leading:

Peter

At the bottom of the Edit menu in Pages is Emojis & Symbols. That is the Character palette. If there is no Digits category in the left categories collection, then click on the gear icon in the toolbar, and select Customize List… . Check Digits - All, and click Done.

Click on the Digit - All category, and scroll the middle characters panel downward until you encounter the vulgar fractions. Double-clicking on any of these will insert them into your Pages document at the current insertion point. For fractions not in this list, type your numerator, then double-click the separate fraction slash '/' to insert it. Then type your denominator, followed by a space. Select the numerator, and then select Format : Font : Baseline : Superscript. Select the denominator, and this time, choose subscript. Click behind that trailing space, and from the same menu sequence, select Default. You can now select the vulgar fraction and change its font attributes.

You can use the Grapher application (Launchpad : Other : Grapher). Choose the default 2D Graph on launch. You will see an equation started y =. Backspace over this, and then type 1/2. This will generate a case (stacked) fraction. Right-click on that fraction, and select Copy As : PDF (or your image type).

You can also look at the System Preferences : Keyboard panel : Text, and some fractions are there by default. You can make new ones by applying the second paragraph techniques to the With field. For replacement to work in Pages, you will need the Edit menu : Substitutions : Text Replacement menu item selected.

And finally, there is the MathType trial that reverts to MathType Lite after 30 days. You must launch MathType, and then Pages, in that order. These are the folks that wrote the original Equation Editor for MS Office, though MathType is well beyond the Microsoft version in current capability.

Stay with Word for Mac, and your existing skill set. You can work in the Word document in native format, whereas Pages must translate it on opening it and exporting it. Pages was never designed to be a Word clone, or have the professional grade features found in Word.