Equation to LaTeX Converter
Need the LaTeX for an equation you can only see? Paste a screenshot, upload a photo or a PDF page, or drop in a Word file, and this equation to LaTeX converter writes the formulas as amsmath code that compiles.
How to convert an equation to LaTeX
Capture the math
Take a screenshot of the formula, photograph it from a book or a whiteboard, or use the PDF or Word file it lives in. Paste a screenshot with Ctrl+V or Cmd+V, or drop the file onto the upload area; PDFs and Word files let you pick the pages or parts that hold the equations. Typical sources are lecture slides, textbook pages, journal articles and old problem sheets that only exist on paper.
Convert the page
Each selected page or picture uses one credit, whether it holds one formula or forty. That makes the equation to LaTeX converter especially good value for problem sheets, derivations and formula summaries, where a whole page of math is done in one go. If a page cannot be converted, the credit is returned automatically.
Copy the code you need
The result opens in an editor beside its compiled preview. Copy a single formula into your paper, or download the whole page as a .tex file. If a symbol needs a tweak, edit it and the preview shows the change. Each equation to LaTeX conversion is saved to your history, so you can come back and copy another formula later.
How formulas are written
Standard amsmath notation
Fractions use \frac, roots \sqrt, sums and integrals keep their limits, and matrices use pmatrix or bmatrix. Only standard packages such as amsmath, amssymb and mathtools are used, so the code works in Overleaf, in any TeX installation and in Markdown editors that render math. The equation to LaTeX output avoids custom macros, so you never need to copy definitions along with the formula. Operators such as sin, log and lim use their upright commands, and vectors keep their bold or arrow notation.
Inline and displayed math
A formula inside a sentence stays inline between dollar signs, while a formula on its own line becomes an equation environment. Multi-line derivations go into align with their equals signs lined up, and piecewise definitions use cases.
Exactly what is printed
Every coefficient, subscript and sign is checked against the picture rather than inferred from nearby lines. If a character cannot be read with confidence, the equation to LaTeX converter writes [unreadable] in bold instead of guessing, so errors never hide inside an otherwise neat formula.
Getting equations right
Clear input pays off
Zoom in before taking a screenshot of small print, and photograph handwriting straight on in good light. Tiny exponents and subscripts are where most misreadings happen, so a sharper picture saves the most editing time. For an equation on a web page, a screenshot is better than copying the text, because copied math often loses its structure. Handwritten work converts best when each line of an equation is written on its own line.
Word and MathType equations
Equations typed in Word's equation editor are read directly from the .docx file and rewritten as LaTeX before conversion, so they keep their structure exactly. Older MathType objects are usually stored as pictures; for those, take a screenshot and convert it. Either way, the equation to LaTeX result keeps the layout of the original document around the formulas.
Building a formula from scratch?
If there is no picture to start from, the visual equation editor lets you build the formula with buttons and copies the LaTeX for you. It is free and works without an account.
LaTeX equation editorOfficial references: amsmath (CTAN) · The LaTeX Project
Equation to LaTeX questions
- How to convert Word equation to LaTeX?
- Upload the .docx file here. Equations made with Word's equation editor are read from the file itself and turned into LaTeX math, then the document is converted around them, so you get the formulas and their surrounding text together. Equations keep their exact structure because they are not recognised from images.
- Is there a free equation to LaTeX converter online?
- Converting a page uses one credit, returned automatically if the page fails, and a single page can hold many formulas. To type a formula yourself, the equation editor on this site is free. A page of twenty formulas costs the same single credit as a page with one.
- How do I convert MathType equations to LaTeX?
- MathType can copy an equation as LaTeX if you set its cut-and-copy preference to LaTeX. If you only have the document, take a screenshot of the equations and convert the image here. Equations that Word has converted to its own format are read directly from the .docx file.
- Is there an equation editor that writes LaTeX?
- Yes, the LaTeX equation editor on this site builds formulas with buttons and a live preview and copies the code. Use this equation to LaTeX converter when the formula already exists on paper, on screen or in a file. Both are linked from the free tools page.
- Can it convert a photo of a math equation?
- Yes. Photos from a phone work well when the page is flat, in focus and evenly lit, whether the math is printed or neatly handwritten. Hold the phone parallel to the page so the lines of the equation stay straight.
- How do I get the LaTeX code of an equation?
- Screenshot it and paste it here with Ctrl+V or Cmd+V. After conversion, copy the formula from the editor; the preview confirms it compiles exactly as shown. The equation to LaTeX result can be pasted into Overleaf, a Markdown note or Word.
- Does it read handwritten equations?
- Yes. Neat handwriting in dark ink converts reliably, including fractions, integrals and matrices. Characters that are too unclear to read are marked [unreadable] rather than guessed. Write fraction bars clearly longer than their numerators so they are not read as minus signs.
- Will I get inline or displayed math?
- The layout follows the page: math inside a sentence becomes inline $…$, and formulas on their own lines become equation or align environments. You can switch between the two in the editor by changing a few characters.
- Can I convert a page full of equations?
- Yes, and it costs the same as one formula: one credit per page. Formula sheets and worked solutions are a good fit. Many students use the equation to LaTeX converter to typeset worked solutions for revision.
- How do I put the result into Word?
- In Word, open Insert, Equation, switch the equation input to LaTeX and paste the code. To convert a whole LaTeX document, use the LaTeX to Word converter.
- How do I know the LaTeX is right?
- Every page is compiled before it is shown, and the editor displays the compiled preview beside the code, so you can compare it with your original at a glance. Characters that could not be read are marked [unreadable] in bold, so they are easy to find.
Have a whole page of notes, a scan or a PDF? Convert it to LaTeX that compiles.
Convert a file