How to Insert Equations in PowerPoint 2010

If you want to insert equations in PowerPoint then you can use the Insert Object feature to insert a Microsoft Equation 3.0 object with the equation or formula. We have tested this in PowerPoint 2010 and easily you can insert the equation into your slides. This can be very effective for Maths and other educational PowerPoint presentations, but in general it is great if you want to show formulas to your audience.

For example, one of our colleagues created a PowerPoint presentation on Distance Between Two Points to show how to calculate the distance between two points. The PPT allowed him to teach how to calculate the shortest distance using a formula, and wanted to insert the equation in a PowerPoint slide. For this purpose we offered them a simple PowerPoint template without bullet points (No Bullet Points is a free PowerPoint template you can download from FPPT).

In one of our previous articles we have showed you how to add a matrix in PowerPoint using the Microsoft Equations object and insert other formulas for Maths in PowerPoint.

First, you need to click Insert -> Object and then choose Microsoft Equations 3.0

Then, the editor will open and here you can insert your formula or equation.

Now, click File -> Update, or just F3 to return to your slide and you can see the equation embedded into the presentation.

This way, you can use Microsoft Equations to display equations and formulas in PowerPoint 2010 and 2013.

How to change the Color of a Microsoft Equations object

The drawback about using Microsoft Equations 3.0 is that you can’t change the equation color. This can be a problem if your slide background uses a dark color for example. However there are some workarounds.

If you want to change the color of a Microsoft Equations object then you can right click and save the equation as PNG image. Then you can re-insert the image into your slide and apply a color change to the image. However, notice that you will lose your object in case you need to make changes later. If you want to keep your object, you can add it to a hidden slide as a trick.

You can use the Recolor feature in PowerPoint 2010 to change the color to Washout.

Then, change the brightness and contrast to 100%, and you will get a result like the following figure.

Other people suggested to use an alternative to Microsoft Equations, like MathType. This will allow you to change the formula color.