WD: Resized Super/Subscript Character Is Same Size as Text (57829)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Word for the Macintosh 4.0
  • Microsoft Word for the Macintosh 5.0
  • Microsoft Word for the Macintosh 5.1
  • Microsoft Word for the Macintosh 6.0
  • Microsoft Word for the Macintosh 6.0.1
  • Microsoft Word for the Macintosh 6.0.1a
  • Microsoft Word 98 Macintosh Edition
This article was previously published under Q57829

SYMPTOMS

When you change the point size of a word, sentence, or paragraph that contains a superscript or subscript character that is formatted to be one point size smaller than the rest of the text, the superscript or subscript character may not change proportionally to a point size that is smaller than the new point size. This problem will vary depending on how you initially formatted the superscript or subscript character.

To automatically format superscript or subscript characters as one installed point size smaller than the text that accompanies them, use the following key commands: 
   Superscript   COMMAND+SHIFT+PLUS SIGN (+)

   Subscript     COMMAND+SHIFT+MINUS SIGN (-)
To resize the entire word, sentence, or paragraph that contains the superscript/subscript characters and retain the one-point-size-smaller formatting:

  1. Format the text you want superscript/subscript using the appropriate key command above.

    NOTE: In Word 6.0 and 4.0, you must apply the key commands AFTER you have typed the text.
  2. Select all of the text you want to resize.
  3. Type the appropriate key command below:

    • COMMAND+SHIFT+GREATER THAN (>) -- to proportionally increase the point sizes of all the selected text
    • COMMAND+SHIFT+LESS THAN (<) -- to proportionally decrease the point sizes of all the selected text

MORE INFORMATION

The key combination COMMAND+SHIFT+PLUS SIGN (+) applies superscript formatting to selected text by raising it 3 points above the baseline and reducing the point size by one installed size (for example, from 12 point to 10 point, from 10 point to 9 point, and so on).

The key combination COMMAND+SHIFT+MINUS SIGN (-) applies subscript formatting to selected text by lowering it 2 points below the baseline and reducing the point size by one installed size (for example, from 12 point to 10 point, from 10 point to 9 point, and so on).

Word 6.0

There are two ways to apply superscript or subscript to a character. One way is to apply the superscript or subscript character format. You can apply the superscript or subscript format using the keystrokes mentioned above or by activating Superscript or Subscript in the Format Font dialog under the Font tab. The superscript and subscript character formats automatically change the character's point size.

When changing the point size of the sentence containing the super or subscripted character, Word 6.0 automatically changes the point size of the super or subscripted character to one size lower than the point size applied. For more information on how Word 6.0 automatically changes the point size, see the section on Word 4.0 below.

A second way to superscript and subscript is by raising or lowering the position of the character. This is done under the Character Spacing tab in the Format Font dialog. Applying superscript or subscript using Position does NOT automatically change the size of the character.

Word 5.0

If [1] is formatted by selecting superscript or subscript from the Format Character dialog box, or through a command that may have previously been added to a menu, the font size of the selected characters will not automatically decrease. (You will have to manually change the point size of these characters.) In this case when you make the font size smaller for the entire sentence, [1] will take on the point size that is chosen from the Font menu.

This feature is by program design. It allows footnotes to automatically maintain a size relative to the assigned size. If this feature were not available, when you changed the font size of text by selecting the text and selecting a new font size from the font menu, the font size of the footnote reference marks would also take on this new size. In most cases, this not a desired feature for footnotes.

Word 4.0

If you apply the superscript or subscript format to a character by typing the character, selecting the text, and then using the key commands, Word automatically adjusts the point size to be one installed point size smaller than the current size. If you then select the entire sentence or paragraph that contains the superscript or subscript character, and change the point size of that sentence or character, Word will increase or decrease the font size of the superscripted or subscripted character (it will remain one point size smaller than the main text). For example, if you type the following sentence in Times 12-point font

This is a test of the emergency broadcast system[1].

and make the character [1] superscript by selecting it and using the key command SHIFT+COMMAND+PLUS SIGN, the character [1] will take on the next installed point size down from 12 point (that is, 10 point). If you then select the entire sentence and choose 10 Point from the Font menu, the selected text will be reformatted in 10 point with the exception of the [1] character, which will be 9 point.

CAUTION: If you use the key command COMMAND+SHIFT+PLUS SIGN before you type the [1] character, the [1] character WILL NOT be reformatted as 9 point.
Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:5/13/2003
Keywords:KB57829
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