How to typeset subscript in usual text mode?

Question

It's easy to make subscripts in math mode: $a_i$ .

How do I make a subscript outside math environment, like_this?

Related: Superscript outside math mode – Werner Jun 04 '15 at 15:07 — Werner, Jun 04 '15 at 15:07

Stefan Kottwitz · Answer 1 · 2017-03-13T16:47:03.043

210

Note that \textsubscript enters math mode as well. This might produce problems in PDF strings where math is not allowed, for instance in bookmarks. If you used hyperref and simply used \textsubscript in a section heading, hyperref would complain about the math shift. The command \texorpdfstring comes to the rescue:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{fixltx2e}
\usepackage{hyperref}
\begin{document}
\section{\texorpdfstring{like\textsubscript{this}}{like this}}
\end{document}

That applies to math and math symbols in sectioning headings of course as well.

Since 2015, LaTeX provides the fixltx2e features by default, so you can omit \usepackage{fixltx2e}then.

edited Mar 13 '17 at 16:47

answered Aug 04 '10 at 14:05

Stefan Kottwitz

231,401

6

Useful to know! NB: just to be clear, the \texorpdfstring command is in the hyperref package. Would any other package have problems with this? – Andrew Stacey Aug 04 '10 at 14:12
3

pdftex could have problems. Try \pdfoutline goto page 1 {/Fit} count 0 {like\textsubscript{this}} and have a look at the bookmark. – Stefan Kottwitz Aug 04 '10 at 14:31
1

this is a neat trick ! I've had problems with math in section headers before. – Suresh Aug 04 '10 at 17:40
Do you have any recommendation for what is the preferred choice for setting subscript in LuaLaTeX? – ClintEastwood Nov 11 '14 at 09:33
1

@StefanKottwitz you might add some short recommendation about loading the package fixltx2e as one of the first packages. It has some incompatibilities (See this post) that can be solved in this way. I have been almost 1 hour debugging such a problem ( yes, my code was long, but even ). – loved.by.Jesus Oct 28 '15 at 13:56
As Fran points out below, it appears that \usepackage{fixltx2e} is no longer needed. – Isaac Mar 13 '17 at 15:52
@Isaac thanks, I added a note to the answer to make this well visible. – Stefan Kottwitz Mar 13 '17 at 16:47
Maybe add some brief explanation (in the code write \texorpdfstring{ <actual text to be typesetted, contain \textsubscript> }{ <plaintext to be put to table of contents, does not contain \textsubscript> })? Or maybe link to beamer - Hyperref warning - Token not allowed in a PDF string - TeX - LaTeX Stack Exchange for explanation – user202729 Mar 26 '23 at 17:13

Andrew Stacey · Answer 2 · 2010-08-04T13:54:56.997

125

This is included in the fixltx2e package:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{fixltx2e}

\begin{document}
like\textsubscript{this}
\end{document}

Interestingly (?), there's a \textsuperscript command already in LaTeX.

This is included already in the KOMA-Script bundle. If you want to typeset chemical formulas, have a look at the mchem package.

(Thanks to Caramdir for those last two.)

edited Aug 04 '10 at 13:54

answered Aug 04 '10 at 13:42

Andrew Stacey

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In @StefanKottwitz 's answer, he has used the same fixltx2e package. But he's also used the hyperref package. Is there a redundancy somewhere or am I missing something? – Shashank Sawant Oct 15 '12 at 17:42
1

@ShashankSawant Stefan's answer is: "if you use hyperref then you might want to do it like ..." So if you are already using hyperref and you want the subscript in headers, use his solution. Otherwise, this one ought to work. – Andrew Stacey Oct 15 '12 at 19:17
1

As Fran points out below, it appears that \usepackage{fixltx2e} is no longer needed. – Isaac Mar 13 '17 at 15:53
3

fixltx2e is indeed no longer needed. See the CTAN page: "This package does nothing other than issue a warning in current LaTeX Releases." – chrisma Dec 21 '18 at 10:07

Fran · Answer 3 · 2016-12-19T11:39:43.637

Actual solution in LaTeX

Just write like\textsubscript{this}

You do not need preamble fixes anymore. Example:

\documentclass{article}
\begin{document}
    like\textsubscript{this}
\end{document}

Because all the fixes of package fixltx2e were enabled by default in the LaTeX format in 2015, the odd lack of this "expectable" command in LaTeX kernel is now history.

Old story

Just for the record: Before of the already cited fixltx2e package (now obsolete), the command \textsubscript was also supplied by exactly the same macro by the little package subscript (no longer in TeX Live):

\DeclareRobustCommand*\textsubscript[1]{\@textsubscript{\selectfont#1}}
\newcommand{\@textsubscript}[1]{{\m@th\ensuremath{_{\mbox{\fontsize\sf@size\z@#1}}}}}

But this command is still accessible in the changes packages that is ~~actually the best option~~ since is still in both MiKTeX and TeXLive.

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{changes} % Not needed since 2015 
\begin{document}
like\textsubscript{this}
\end{document}

Another option could be a simpler user macro without \makeatletter stuff. To set the subscript size, the relsize package could help:

MWE

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{relsize}
\def\textsubscript#1{\ensuremath{_{\mbox{\textscale{.6}{#1}}}}}
\begin{document}
\huge         a\textsubscript{th} A\textsubscript{th}\par
\Large        a\textsubscript{th} A\textsubscript{th}\par
\normalsize   a\textsubscript{th} A\textsubscript{th}\par
\small        a\textsubscript{th} A\textsubscript{th}\par
\footnotesize a\textsubscript{th} A\textsubscript{th}\par
\tiny         a\textsubscript{th} A\textsubscript{th}\par
\end{document}

@Werner I don't think so. Andrew's answer is about the fixltx2e, I mention the older package subscript. I have not seen any mention to this package in any other answer. (and yes, I know that the command is exactly the same in both packages, I said "just for the record" for this reason...). — Fran, Dec 15 '13 at 02:59

score 47 · Answer 4 · edited Mar 17 '15 at 16:38

47

If you don't want to install additional packages you can use the following syntax:
like $_{\text{this}}$ .

This will only require the use of one of the ams packages, for example amsmath, which is standard for most latex installations.

Alternatively, you can define a command \textunderscript in the beginning of your document:

\newcommand{\textunderscript}[1]{$_{\text{#1}}$}

edited Mar 17 '15 at 16:38

amicitas

103

answered Aug 04 '10 at 13:59

fiktor

1,953

4

\text needs the amstext package: perhaps you are thinking of \textup? – Joseph Wright Aug 04 '10 at 14:06
Yes, for \text you need one of ams packages (amsmath is enough), but I don't carry about that because I use amsmath in virtually all my latex documents. – fiktor Aug 04 '10 at 20:40
Or you could use \mathrm{}, or even nothing... It's so tiny no-one will notice... =P – daviewales May 15 '13 at 23:21
How do you use the command you defined? I tried a_1 and it results in an error. – Amir Sagiv Mar 05 '17 at 12:00
Amir, with the command from my answer you can write a\textunderscript{1}. But, please, take a look at the Fran's answer. – fiktor Mar 05 '17 at 18:16

score 19 · Answer 5 · answered Sep 03 '10 at 12:54

19

Since I've always been bugged by the fact that LaTeX's sscripts need math mode (setting normal text inside math mode have issues with LuaTeX's directionality), motivated by this question, I "stole" the subscript/superscript code from ConTeXt which is set entirely in text mode, with quick hacks to get it work with plain TeX (needs pdftex/luatex though), it is here for now, if there is interest may be it can be turned into some package.

answered Sep 03 '10 at 12:54

خالد حسني

22,859

3

As a bonus, it also provides a command, \lohi, to set sub and superscripts simultaneously. – خالد حسني Sep 03 '10 at 12:56
Neat. I vote for a package. – sgmoye Dec 15 '13 at 13:21
@KhaledHosny Can I ask whether this was ever made into a package? – solisoc Dec 06 '19 at 09:44
@solisoc No it didn’t. – خالد حسني Dec 06 '19 at 22:56

score 19 · Answer 6 · answered Oct 15 '12 at 17:06

19

LaTeX provides \raisebox{<len>}{<stuff>} (based on TeX's \raise) which raises (and boxes) <stuff> by <len>. A negative <len> drops the contents:

enter image description here

\documentclass{article}
\begin{document}
It's easy to make subscripts in math mode: $a_i$.

How do I make a subscript outside math environment, 
like\raisebox{-.4ex}{\scriptsize this}?
\end{document}

answered Oct 15 '12 at 17:06

Werner

603,163

It seems like this nice trick does not work inside captions and tikz, am I wrong? – mmj Jun 15 '13 at 16:34
4

@mmj: Since it forms part of a moving argument, you have to use \protect\raisebox{..}{...}. – Werner Jun 15 '13 at 16:41
How do you know how much length to lower it? – Mario S. E. Feb 16 '16 at 13:40
@Mario S. E.: through trial and error I have come to -1/3 ex. – Raoul Kessels Apr 15 '16 at 10:05

score 15 · Answer 7 · answered Sep 03 '10 at 11:19

15

In ConTeXt, you can write

like\low{this}

answered Sep 03 '10 at 11:19

Taco Hoekwater

13,724
43
67

score 7 · Answer 8 · edited Apr 13 '17 at 12:35

7

Here, I provide the subscript equivalent of this answer, Superscript outside math mode. I show how the subscript depth may be set, as well as the subscript size, using my stackengine package.

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{fixltx2e}
\usepackage{stackengine}
\newcommand\textsub[1]{\stackengine{-.5ex}{}{\scriptsize#1}{O}{l}{F}{F}{L}}
\begin{document}
\noindent
a\textsubscript{th}A\textsubscript{th}\\
a\textsub{th}A\textsub{th}\\
\renewcommand\textsub[1]{\stackengine{-.4ex}{}{\footnotesize#1}{O}{l}{F}{F}{L}}
a\textsub{th}A\textsub{th}\\
\renewcommand\textsub[1]{\stackengine{-.5ex}{}{\tiny#1}{O}{l}{F}{F}{L}}
a\textsub{th}A\textsub{th}\\
\end{document}

enter image description here

edited Apr 13 '17 at 12:35

Community

1

answered May 20 '15 at 00:04

Steven B. Segletes

237,551

In answer of community wiki (Fran) is stated that the package `'fixltx2eis obsolete. Why you still use it? Doesstackengine`` work without it? – Zarko May 20 '15 at 00:45
1

@Zarko I need it only to show \textsubscript for comparison in row 1. The stackengine package does not need it. – Steven B. Segletes May 20 '15 at 00:46
B. Steglets, thank you for information. I found stackengine interesting for many my needs, but I still learning how to use it. Implementation of \textsubscript and \textsupercsript and combination of both are my first ongoing experimetns with it. – Zarko May 20 '15 at 00:54
@Zarko Best wishes! – Steven B. Segletes May 20 '15 at 01:09

score 5 · Answer 9 · answered Jan 21 '14 at 09:37

5

The way I do it is by using mathrm inside math environment:

$\mathrm{like_{this}}$

answered Jan 21 '14 at 09:37

user44498

51

This and \text from amsmath are the simplest solutions. – Adam Erickson Jan 28 '19 at 00:31

score 4 · Answer 10 · edited Jun 08 '11 at 17:35

4

If you use the $\text{}$ version and you have selected a different font (other than roman serif) then $\textnormal{}$ matches the font of the document. If you are using the default fonts, \text{} will work great.

edited Jun 08 '11 at 17:35

Caramdir

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answered Aug 04 '10 at 16:23

Dash

323

score 3 · Answer 11 · answered Dec 14 '13 at 20:33

I get this done by using the mhchem package. It's normally used for writing chemical formulas, but you can use it for this problem, too.

\usepackage[version=3]{mhchem}
\begin{document}
\ce{like_{this}}
\end{document}

mhchem doesn't print spaces when you put them in the subscript part. To get the spaces in the subscript part, you'll have to escape them using backslashes:

\usepackage[version=3]{mhchem}
\begin{document}
\ce{like_{this\ and\ this\ and\ this}}
\end{document}

score -8 · Answer 12 · edited Jun 08 '17 at 18:55

-8

I am new to LaTeX but I have learnt reading the error messages they help a lot with the solution itself. That is where I found that without $ before and after your subscript function LaTeX would give your errors after quick build.

Like$_{this}$

Use $ to start and end the section of your command without these the math commands of subscript and superscript won't work. You don't need any additional packages for using these commands.

_{•} for subscript ^{•} for superscript

edited Jun 08 '17 at 18:55

Mensch

65,388

answered Jun 08 '17 at 18:30

Ankit Bhatt

1

2

Welcome, there is a clear distinction between math mode and text mode, on a functional level and concerning fonts. You answer is very bad advice and will lead to confusion among new users. – Johannes_B Jun 11 '17 at 10:27

How to typeset subscript in usual text mode?

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