Importing/handling equations in InDesign

Ross Stone

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Aug 3, 2002, 10:03:26 PM8/3/02

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I am looking at using InDesign 2 for production of an engineering magazine that involves a substantial number of equations. Can InDesign import a Microsoft Word document that contains MathType (or Equation Editor) equations and preserve the equations? If so, how is this done? If not, what is the best way to get equations into InDesign? If InDesign isn't the best tool to use for such a project, what is? I realize that FrameMaker has substantial equation support, but my understanding is that it can't really handle the type of page layout and color issues associated with magazine design. I'd appreciate any comments and help. Thank you.

Guy Smiley

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Aug 4, 2002, 12:19:15 AM8/4/02

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Ross:
You might want to also post this question in the Adobe Forums Typography forum. I believe you will get some good feedback there as well.
-Mike Nitabach

Sotirios Persidis

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Aug 4, 2002, 1:51:10 AM8/4/02

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Ross,

It is not possible to import a Word file
with equations into InDesign.
The only way is to save each equation as
an EPS file and then import it into InDesign
using the place command.
Even then you will face many problems
with fonts.

Jens W Schulze

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Aug 4, 2002, 7:10:57 AM8/4/02

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The fastest solution should be distilling the equations to pdf and the placing them as pdf directly in your document. As, Sotirios mentioned you should try it out first to be sure that all the fonts are okay - maybe a test page through your RIP and onto film to be sure the equations survive your workflow.

Jens

Bob Levine

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Aug 4, 2002, 8:47:47 AM8/4/02

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I haven't tried it, but I think ID 2.0 can handle those equations. They're
actually embedded into the Word document as WMFs. ID 2.0 added support for
WMF. However, WMFs don't play very nicely with a postscript workflow, so
caution is the name of the game.

My advice is to download the tryout version and see if it can handle what
you want to do.

Bob

Guy Smiley

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Aug 4, 2002, 5:05:30 PM8/4/02

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To amplify on Bob's comment, if you do have trouble with the WMFs, you can open them in Adobe Illustrator and then save them as EPSs. Once opened in Illustrator, you will also have the opportunity to convert the mathematical symbols that are font glyphs into outlines, if you are having font problems.
-Mike Nitabach

Jim Ripley

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Aug 4, 2002, 7:08:26 PM8/4/02

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This suggestion may be what you are looking for, but I have found that FrameMaker handles mathematical formulas very well within the FrameMaker native file and no importing needs to be done.

jr

Sotirios Persidis

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Aug 5, 2002, 4:23:33 AM8/5/02

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My friends,

I am sorry but I have tried everything and the only working method is the following: Compose the equation in MathType, save it as an eps file and import it in InDesign using the place command.
Every other method either fails completely or has serious drawbacks.

Even the method I propose has difficulties with Greek characters or anything that is not in the first 128 character positions.