Including equations in books
Books with technical or scientific content often include equations, and how those equations are prepared has a big impact on how smoothly the book can be typeset. Equations may appear in manuscripts in many different forms, depending on how the author created them, but not all approaches translate well into professional book design software. This page explains the main considerations and why equations need a bit of extra care during the production process.
Preparing a manuscript with equations
If you're working in Microsoft Word, equations may have been added as images, typed using standard keyboard characters, or created with Word's built-in Equation Editor. From a typesetting perspective, the way equations are entered matters. Equations created as proper equation objects are far easier to convert and style consistently, while equations typed using ordinary text characters often require significant reworking later. Thinking about this early can save time and reduce the amount of manual correction needed during typesetting.
Display equations
Display equations are longer or more complex equations that sit on their own line, usually with space above and below, and are often numbered for reference. For these to work well in typesetting, each equation needs to be created as a single equation object rather than a mixture of text and symbols. When equations are split across different formats, they usually need to be rebuilt from scratch later to ensure correct alignment, spacing, and consistency.
Inline equations
Inline equations appear within running text and are best kept short and simple. As with display equations, they should be created as complete equation objects rather than assembled from text characters. This allows them to be styled correctly and converted reliably during typesetting. If an equation becomes too long or complex, it will usually read more clearly as a display equation instead.
Variables and notation
Variables are letters used to represent quantities throughout a book, and clear, consistent notation helps readers understand them. Standard publishing convention is to italicize scalar variables and use bold, non-italic text for vectors. Applying these conventions consistently makes technical material easier to follow and helps distinguish variables from surrounding text.
Typesetting books for print
During typesetting, equations need to be converted and styled so they work with the chosen typeface, page layout, and overall design of the book. Depending on how the equations were prepared originally, this may involve converting them into a specialist format or rebuilding them to ensure consistency. This is careful, detailed work and forms a distinct part of the typesetting process, particularly in books with a large number of equations.
Equations in ebooks
If your book will also be produced as an ebook, equations need additional consideration. Display equations can usually be handled without difficulty, but inline equations are more challenging in reflowable ebooks because text does not sit on fixed pages. Decisions made during print typesetting affect how well equations adapt to digital formats, which is why it's important to consider ebook requirements early if both formats are planned.
Including equations isn't just a matter of placing symbols on a page. It's about clarity, consistency, and making sure complex material reads smoothly in both print and digital formats. Our role is to handle the technical side of equation preparation and typesetting, so the mathematics supports the content without becoming a distraction or a source of layout problems.