Overview

LaTeX offers many formatting commands for tweaking the appearance of math expressions. Thoughtful use of these commands can greatly improve legibility when content becomes too small or crowded. Additionally, be aware that some spatial arrangements in math—while visually clear—present fundamental challenges for non-visual access.

Guidance

Don’t let content get too small

Nested structures like nested fractions and multi-level subscripts can become quite small by default. Use commands that maintain a legible font size.

Bad Example

The standard \frac command makes nested fractions increasingly tiny:

\[x = a_0 + \frac{1^2}{a_1 + \frac{2^2}{a_2 + \frac{3^2}{a_3 + \frac{4^4}{a_4 + \cdots}}}}\]

Good Example

Use \cfrac (continued fractions) to maintain a legible font size:

\[x = a_0 + \cfrac{1^2}{a_1 + \cfrac{2^2}{a_2 + \cfrac{3^2}{a_3 + \cfrac{4^4}{a_4 + \cdots}}}}\]

Don’t let content get too crowded

Use line spacing adjustments like \\[2ex] to give stacked content breathing room, and use padding inside enclosures with \bbox.

Bad Example

Default line spacing can make stacked fractions feel cramped:

\[\begin{cases} a_1x+b_1y+c_1z=\frac{p_1}{q_1} \\ a_2x+b_2y+c_2z=\frac{p_2}{q_2} \\ a_3x+b_3y+c_3z=\frac{p_3}{q_3} \end{cases}\]

Good Example

Add extra line spacing with \\[2ex]:

\[\begin{cases} a_1x+b_1y+c_1z=\frac{p_1}{q_1} \\[2ex] a_2x+b_2y+c_2z=\frac{p_2}{q_2} \\[2ex] a_3x+b_3y+c_3z=\frac{p_3}{q_3} \end{cases}\]

Padding inside enclosures: The \bbox command can add padding between content and borders:

\[\bbox[yellow,5px,border:2px solid red]
{
e^x=\lim_{n\to\infty} \left( 1+\frac{x}{n} \right)^n
}
\]

Be aware of spatial content limitations

Some mathematical expressions rely on a 2D spatial arrangement to convey meaning—for example, long division layouts, labeled fraction diagrams with arrows, and other visual annotations. While these can technically be authored in LaTeX and rendered by MathJax, current assistive technologies do not adequately announce the spatial relationships between the parts.

A screen reader can speak and navigate the individual symbols, but it cannot explain what the overall arrangement represents, what each piece is, or how the pieces relate to each other spatially. A non-visual user would likely be unable to understand the intended meaning.

Examples of problematic spatial content:

Long division layouts built with \enclose{longdiv} and arrays
Labeled diagrams (e.g., arrows pointing to numerator and denominator of a fraction)
Multi-column text layouts created inside a single math expression
Annotated proofs with spatially-aligned justification text

Recommendation: When you use a spatial arrangement, consider providing an equivalent text-based description nearby so that all learners can access the mathematical reasoning being illustrated. Where possible, use HTML and CSS for the spatial layout while keeping each mathematical expression in its own set of math delimiters.

Back to Ten Tips for Accessible LaTeX Math Expressions

LaTeX Reference Guides (Canvas / MathJax 2.7)

MathJax 2.7 TeX/LaTeX Support
One Mathematical Cat: TeX Syntax Reference
MathJax Basic Tutorial and Quick Reference