Why I Started Using MathType

For clarity, I used MathType 6.9 with the 32-bit version of Office 2016.

This article was written in 2022 and is based on the MathType 6.9 and 32-bit Office 2016 environment I used at the time. MathType, Microsoft Office, Windows, installation methods, and add-in settings may have changed since then. Before acting, follow the current official guidance and compatibility information for the versions you use, and adapt the steps to your own system.

When people think of an equation editor in Windows, they naturally think of the one built into Office. It integrates well with Office, is easy to find from the ribbon, and comes with many symbols to insert. For most document-editing needs, it can certainly do the job.

Word equation editor controls on the Insert ribbon
In Word, the equation editor can be found through Ribbon → Insert → Symbols. The Symbols control beside an equation can also insert many kinds of symbols, which is quite convenient.

Although Office’s built-in equation editor is convenient, I did not find its layout entirely satisfying. In the example below, when other text appears on the same line, the editor seems to prioritize line spacing and compresses the elements of the equation, leaving them at uneven sizes.

Inline equation comparison between MathType and Word
This image shows two layouts. The lower equation uses Word’s built-in editor, while the upper one uses MathType. With other text on the same line, the elements in Word’s equation become visibly smaller; the MathType equation keeps the size of its elements.

This is ultimately a matter of preference. I really dislike type that appears to grow and shrink; I would rather adjust line spacing in Word afterward. Other people are perfectly comfortable with this layout and consider consistent line spacing more important. It depends on the trade-off you prefer, but I needed another way to edit equations.

Of course, LaTeX is another option. For me, though, it meant learning a new system and editing style; when I was already used to preparing class handouts in Word, it felt like a bit much XD (really, I was being lazy).

How I Used MathType

After installation, MathType appears on the Office ribbon. When you need an equation, click “Inline” to open the equation editor. Once you finish editing, click the “X” at the upper right to close it, and the equation is complete.

MathType tab on the Word ribbon
MathType embeds directly in the ribbon, and I found its interface well designed.
MathType equation editor window
This is the equation editor opened by clicking “Inline” in Office; you can click what you need and type the numbers you want.

Edited equations appear in the document as images. Double-click one to reopen the editor and revise it. You can also use “Style” and “Size” in the editor to adjust the size and font of equation elements. Once you have the settings you want, save the style and settings in “Preferences” for later use.

Selected equation object in a Word document
When selected, the equation shows an image border.

To use an earlier equation setup in a new document, click Format Equations on the MathType ribbon in Word and choose a saved MathType preference file. It updates the formatting of every MathType equation in the document at once—one feature I find especially useful and time-saving.

Format Equations dialog with a preference file selected
I usually save commonly used settings as separate files so I can load them quickly while preparing handouts.

MathType Installation Problems

The installation problems I encountered were mainly “MathPage.wll cannot be found” and “there is no MathType tab on the ribbon.”

MathType is third-party software, and its Office add-ins can sometimes fail to load or be disabled. Installing the programs on different drives was part of the setup I was troubleshooting, but it does not by itself prove why an add-in is missing. Check the installed versions and Office add-in settings before trying the old manual-file steps below.

I ran into this more than once because I tend to put less important or less performance-sensitive programs on another drive.

MathType versions also correspond to different Office versions. After several attempts, I found Office 2016 and MathType 6.9 compatible without sacrificing too many Office features, so the troubleshooting here is based on those versions. I will not cover installation issues for versions such as Office 2013 or Office 365. If you use these steps, pay close attention to the Office version, MathType version, and your own computer environment.

How I Troubleshot the Installation Problems

If either problem occurs in this old setup, first check whether the MathType add-ins are installed and enabled in Office. If a support file really is missing, the following manual-file steps describe what I tried with MathType 6.9 and 32-bit Office 2016; confirm compatibility and back up your settings before changing installation folders.

In the MathType installation folder, the MathPage.wll file can be found at: ..\MathType\MathPage\32\MathPage.wll.

You will see separate 32 and 64 folders. Choose the relevant MathPage.wll file according to whether your Office installation is 32-bit or 64-bit.

MathPage folder for the 32-bit Office installation
My own Office was 32-bit, so I looked for the MathPage.wll file in the 32-bit folder.

Next, locate the files used for the Office integration. Again, which files you move depends on whether Office is 32-bit or 64-bit. For Word, look for “WordCmds.dot” and “MathType Commands 6 For Word 2013.dotm.” For PowerPoint, look for “MathType AddIn (PowerPoint 2013).ppam.” In this setup, these files were in: “..\MathType\Office Support\32”.

Office Support 32-bit add-in files
As noted above, my Office installation was 32-bit, so this is roughly what the folder looked like.

For Word, place “WordCmds.dot” and “MathType Commands 6 For Word 2013.dotm” in the following folder (the location may differ with your Office installation): “C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\root\Office16\STARTUP”.

If it still does not appear after opening Word, choose File → Options → Add-ins, then select Word Add-ins in the Manage area. Enable the MathType-related add-ins there. Their filenames should match the files you just copied, so they are easy to recognize.

Word Options showing the Add-ins list
Here, enable the MathType-related add-ins.

For PowerPoint, open PowerPoint itself. If MathType is not visible on the ribbon, choose File → Options → Add-ins, then select PowerPoint Add-ins in the Manage area.

PowerPoint Options showing the Add-ins list
Here, enable the PowerPoint add-ins as well.

Unlike the Word setup, in PowerPoint you only need to assign the add-in path. Add the “MathType AddIn (PowerPoint 2013).ppam” file you just located to the existing add-ins and enable it. Restart PowerPoint if necessary, and MathType should appear on the ribbon : D

PowerPoint add-ins dialog with MathType selected
If the item is not listed among the existing add-ins, add it here.

Conclusion

MathType has been a very good equation editor in my experience. As described above, its interface is friendly and, compared with Word’s built-in editor, it is less likely to compress equation elements to keep line spacing uniform. Installation can cause a few problems, but they are not especially difficult to resolve.

I wrote this article because every time I built a computer or reinstalled a system, I faced the same equation-editor installation problems and had to search for answers again. I decided to record the process here in the hope that it might help someone else who runs into the same thing : D