Creating large print math materials

For the purpose of developing math materials accessible to students with disabilities, there is often a need to create large mathematical expressions with the intent of creating large hard copy print.

Solution

MathType 7 can be a very effective tool for customers who need to regularly create large print math materials. There are two parts of this process. One, creating and saving a MathType 7 equation preference file. Two, applying that preference file to existing or to new Microsoft Word documents.

Note: The process below assumes you have Microsoft Word installed.

Creating a large print equation preference file

1. Launch MathType 7
2. From the Size Menu choose Define.
3. In the resulting dialog for "Full" type the desired math font size. For example "18" to create 18pt math equations, or "24" to create 24pt math equations. Leave all the other settings as they are. These are proportional to the Full size and we don't need to change those.
4. Click "Apply" and then "OK" to close the Define Sizes dialog box.

Save size settings to a MathType preference file

1. From the Preferences menu choose Equation Preferences > Save to File…
2. In the resulting dialog, name your preference file with an easily recognized title and Save.
3. This saves the MathType 7 Preference file so it can be applied to existing Microsoft Word documents containing MathType 7 equations. Note, this process can be repeated to create any number of preference files. Simply repeat the steps noted above, saving each file with unique names. Once finished, exit MathType 7
4. We have more information on creating and saving MathType Preference files in the MathType 7 documentation.creating and saving MathType Preference files

Applying a preference file to existing Microsoft Word documents

1. Open an existing Microsoft Word document. It's a good idea to create a backup before proceeding to preserve the original file.
2. If you have a Word template for large print documents, you should apply it at this point. If not, manually set the font size of all non-math content to the desired font size.
3. From the Format group of the MathType 7 tab in Word, choose Format Equations.
4. In the resulting dialog click the radio button named MathType 7 preference file:.
5. Click Browse…
6. Navigate to the desired MathType 7 preference file and click to select it.
7. Click Open. This selects the preference file and returns focus to the Format Equations dialog.
8. For range click Whole document.
9. Click OK.
10. This will close the Format Equations Dialog and apply the preference file to all MathType 7 objects in the Microsoft Word document.
11. Once completed, a dialog appears indicating the number of MathType 7 equations that were updated. Click OK.

Applying a preference file to new Microsoft Word documents

1. Select the font and font size you want for the literary text as you normally would for creating large print materials. For example, "Arial" and “18.”
2. From the Format group of the MathType 7 tab in Word, choose “Set Equation Preferences…”
3. From the Set Equation Preferences dialog box, select the radio button for "This document's equation preferences" and then click on "Load from MathType 7 Preference File…". Locate the desired preference file and select it. Click "OK" on the Set Equation Preferences dialogue box.
4. Your Microsoft Word document is now formatted to create MathType 7 expressions using the selected preference file.
5. For more information about working with MathType 7 Preference files, please consult that topic in the MathType documentation.