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An extra space is inserted after inline equations

TechNote 143

Applicability

The information on this page applies to:

MathType 7 for Windows

Microsoft Word 2007 and later for Windows

Issue

An extra space character is inserted after the equation in Word when inserting an inline equation.

Reason

The space was added as a workaround to a known Microsoft issue when inline equations are the last object on a line, causing inline equations to appear raised above the baseline.

Solution

Since the inclusion of extra space after an equation can have a negative effect on formatting, a simple registry key can be added to prevent the extra space. To do so, follow the instructions below.

  1. Exit from Microsoft Word and MathType 7

    Note: To "exit" MathType 7 means more than closing all open MathType 7 windows. It also means exiting the MathType 7 Server. This has nothing to do with a computer network and runs typically when you have used MathType 7 with Word. To check whether the MathType 7 Server is running, look in the "Notification Area" in the lower right of  your screen, near the clock:

    tsn143-mt-server_windows-10_mt7.png

    Click the MathType 7 Server icon, then click Exit.

  2. Click to download the registry key to your default download location.

  3. Unzip the downloaded file. This will reveal a folder called MTWRegFix that contains WordCommands.reg. This works for MathType 7 versions 6.8 and later.

  4. Double-click WordCommands.reg to install this registry key (depending on your version of Windows and your security settings, you may be prompted to confirm/allow this action).

  5. Note adding this registry key will remove the workaround mentioned above, and the potential for poor baseline alignment will return.

This will eliminate the extra space inserted after an inline equation. You can edit this registry key to turn the feature on or off as required by your work processes as follows:

Note: If you followed the steps above, you do not have to follow the steps below. What follows is the process to add the space back, should you need to do so in the future.

  1. Click Start.

  2. Type regedit in the Start Search box, and then press ENTER.

  3. If you are prompted for an administrator password or a confirmation, type the password, or click Continue.

  4. Navigate to the following registry subkey for MathType 7 6.x:

    • HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Design Science\DSMT6\WordCommands\

  5. Navigate to the following registry subkey for MathType 7 7.x:

    • HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Design Science\DSMT7\WordCommands\

  6. Located in the right pane is a string value for NoSpaceAfterInline. Edit the value as follows:

    • To include an extra space after an inline equation, the value should be 0.

    • To disallow an extra space after the equation, the value should be 1.

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We hope this has been helpful. As always, please let us know if you have questions about this or if you have additional techniques that work. We'd love to hear from you.

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