Technical notes, homework and AI drafts often need real math — not screenshots of equations. In MD Workbox you write formulas as TeX-style Markdown, preview them with MathML or KaTeX, then export without uploading the document.
The short version
- Open the Editor.
- Use
$...$for inline math and$$...$$for display math (or the toolbar$/$$buttons). - Choose MathML or KaTeX in the math options.
- Export from the Editor or a convert tool when the preview looks right.
Everything in that path runs in your browser.
Delimiters you can use
MD Workbox accepts the common TeX math delimiters:
| Kind | Dollars | Brackets |
|---|---|---|
| Inline | $E = mc^2$ |
\(E = mc^2\) |
| Display | $$...$$ on their own lines |
\[...\] |
Example:
Inline $E = mc^2$ and a display integral:
$$
\int_{-\infty}^{\infty} e^{-x^2}\,dx = \sqrt{\pi}
$$
Tips that save time:
- Put display math on its own lines — a blank line before and after
$$keeps parsing reliable. - Escape literal dollar signs in prose when needed (currency) so they are not treated as math.
- Keep complex LaTeX inside the delimiters; the preview uses KaTeX under the hood for both MathML and HTML output modes.
MathML vs KaTeX
In the Editor and convert tools you can pick:
- MathML — native browser math markup. Good for accessibility and embedding where you prefer semantic math over CSS.
- KaTeX — HTML + CSS rendering for a consistent look across browsers. Full HTML documents can include a KaTeX stylesheet link.
- Off — skip formula rendering when you only need plain Markdown structure.
If you are unsure, start with KaTeX for previews and screenshots; switch to MathML when you care about native math in HTML.
Insert from the toolbar
In the Editor toolbar:
$wraps the selection as inline math (or inserts a sample).$$inserts a display math block.
Paste AI-generated Markdown with formulas as-is, then skim the live preview. If spacing looks noisy after a chat copy, run Clean Markdown first — cleanup preserves content inside code fences and is safe for most math blocks.
Export formulas to other formats
Same source, different outputs:
| Goal | Tool |
|---|---|
| HTML (fragment or full page) | Markdown to HTML |
| Markdown to PDF | |
| Word DOCX (equation zones) | Markdown to DOCX |
| PNG / JPEG / WebP | Markdown to Image |
Fidelity varies by format: HTML and image capture follow the live MathML/KaTeX preview closely; DOCX maps TeX delimiters into Word equation (OMML) zones — very complex LaTeX may still need a touch-up in Word’s equation editor.
Checklist before you ship
- Preview every display equation once at the width you will export.
- Confirm math mode (MathML / KaTeX / off) matches the destination.
- Prefer local export for drafts that should stay on your machine — see Privacy.
Write the formula once in Markdown; reuse it across preview, HTML, PDF, DOCX and images.