How do you type exponents with MAIL?

how do you place a Superscript 2 into the WITH column of the keyboard window?

Everything you need to know is in my original post.

You want me to repeat myself, OK— control command spacebar

Not that hard to figure out. If not copy and paste is always your friend 😉

proof of concept:

Niku wrote:

I keep getting subscripts when I want superscripts.

I have always used the key shortcut: control command spacebar.

ex. Math 5²

If used frequently you could always create a "replace text" from >System Preferences>Keyboard>Text

for example if 5^2 you get 5²

It is bad to ignore the recipients of your emails. You should format your email so that they can read what you are sending. If you know your recipient is using HTML in their email then you can put exponents using HTML such as 5^3.

But if your recipients are not using HTML then don't format using HTML just because you are using HTML. After all, you are trying to provide information to the recipient so you want them to be able to read the information you send.

I don't know why not.

A text replacement for ex could be type any number X and then your " ^2 " and you get X²

Have you tried the possible solutions in the thread that CT linked to?

The problem with mail, in addition to the fact that it doesn't have a way for you to type superscripts, is that you have limited control over how the email appears on the other end. It all depends on how the other person has their email configured. Email is not a medium suited for projects that require that formatting remain unchanged. That's what pdfs were created for.

That has the same basic problem. While the mail may look OK on your end when you send it, the recipient will usually see something completely different. The mail transfer protocol is limited in the characters it supports, unless you send HTML email (which can do superscripts), but not all recipients want HTML email so all of the beautiful formatting you have painstaking created will appear to be gibberish.

There is a huge difference between HTML formatted email and plain text. Web pages are formatted in HTML, can you not see the difference between a web page and a plain text note?

Niku wrote:

but I'm looking for the way with the exponent in the upper right-hand corner of the number.

Yes, having the number smaller and slightly above is called "superscript". It's a type style just like strike-through and subscript. Mail can't do that natively.

Niku wrote:

Now, that's useful information.

(1) "Limited control" is worth thinking about.

Maybe think of it this way. You hand write, in beautiful calligraphy, a message to a friend. You take it to the telegraph office (hopefully, you're old enough to understand this!). The telegraph operator translates it into dots and dashes and sends your message on its merry way. At the other end, the operator receives the messages, types it out on a typewriter and has the boy on a bicycle deliver to your friend. Your friend never sees the beautiful calligraphy because the telegraph office doesn't have a calligrapher on the other end. The message ends up in whatever typeface is on the typewriter.

Email is not unlike that (but without the boy on a bicycle). You can format your email with all the beautiful fonts at your disposal but, once the email message has been sent through the ether as ones and zeros and reaches the computer at the other end, if all they have on their computer is Courier, that's what your message will appear in.