If a MathType equation appears as a grey box in Pages, preserve the original, check your Mac’s compatibility, and test a new built-in equation. That test helps you choose between repairing the existing workflow and rebuilding the expression in a supported format.

This guide is for someone editing a Pages document on a Mac who needs a visible, usable equation. The official documentation establishes compatibility limits and supported insertion methods, but it does not establish one universal cause for this particular Pages symptom. Treat the sequence below as a diagnostic method, with each result narrowing your next step.

Check which equation workflow your Mac supports

Before changing the document, identify your macOS version, Pages version, and equation editor. The MathType name covers different products, and their application support differs.

Workflow Documented support What it means for troubleshooting
MathType 7 desktop for Mac Wiris lists OS X El Capitan through macOS Mojave 10.14. On Mojave, it specifies Pages 7.3 or later. Use its Pages integration instructions only within the documented system requirements.
MathType for Microsoft 365 Wiris lists Word and PowerPoint, including supported Mac versions. Installing this add-in does not establish MathType integration with Pages.
Pages’ built-in equation editor Apple documents LaTeX and MathML entry in Pages for Mac. This is the documented route for rebuilding a simple editable equation directly in Pages.

These boundaries come from Wiris’ MathType 7 installation requirements, its Microsoft 365 overview, and Apple’s Pages equation guide. Wiris also explicitly states that MathType 7 is not a 64-bit application and will not work on Catalina in its known issues documentation.

If your Mac runs Catalina or later, stop treating a reinstall of MathType 7 as the next repair step. The documented desktop compatibility boundary already explains why that editor is unavailable. It does not prove why an existing object looks grey; displaying an old object and launching its editor are separate questions.

Isolate the problem with one simple equation

Work in a duplicate of the document and leave the original grey object in place until a replacement is verified. If you have the expression in another document, a source file, or a readable reference, keep that available. A grey rectangle alone is insufficient to reconstruct its mathematical content.

Use the same neutral expression throughout the test: x+1=2. Changing both the expression and insertion method at once makes the result harder to interpret.

Test Pages’ built-in editor in a blank document

Create a blank Pages document and place the insertion point in the body text. Choose Insert > Equation, enter x+1=2, and click Insert. Double-click the resulting equation to check that its source opens; make a small change and click Update. Apple documents this insertion and editing sequence in Add mathematical equations in Pages on Mac.

If an older Pages installation launches MathType instead, Wiris’ legacy instructions say to deselect Equations: Insert and edit equations with MathType in Pages’ Preferences to use the LaTeX/MathML editor. This is a documented legacy setting, so do not assume the same checkbox exists in every current Pages version. See Using MathType with Pages, Keynote, Numbers.

Next, insert the same expression beside the grey object in your working copy. Compare the two tests:

Test result Working interpretation Next action
The new equation works in both documents The failure appears limited to the original object or its insertion route. Rebuild one affected expression, then verify it before replacing others.
It works in the blank document but fails in the original Something specific to the document or insertion location may matter. Repeat the test in ordinary body text, outside the original container.
The built-in test fails in both documents The evidence does not isolate the old MathType object as the cause. Record the versions and exact result before making broader changes.
The equation is visible but will not open for editing Appearance and editability need separate investigation. Determine whether it is a native equation, a MathType object, or an image.

These interpretations are diagnostic inferences, not error codes supplied by Apple. A successful test establishes a usable insertion route; it does not prove that the original object can be repaired.

Rebuild a simple expression as an editable Pages equation

When the built-in test succeeds, recreate one affected expression through Insert > Equation. Enter the mathematical source in that dialog rather than pasting the old graphical object into the page. For a simple fraction, an illustrative input is \frac{x+1}{2}=3.

Pages’ editor already operates in math mode, so additional dollar-sign delimiters are unnecessary. Apple describes support in terms of commands convertible through blahtex, plus listed extensions. Its documentation also lists unsupported commands and packages; successful rendering in another LaTeX application does not establish compatibility with Pages. See About LaTeX and MathML support in Pages, Numbers and Keynote.

If the simple expression inserts but your real expression fails, build it incrementally. Start with the variables and operators, then add one fraction, exponent, or grouping at a time. This proposed diagnostic sequence helps locate the first piece that needs checking against Apple’s supported syntax.

A MathType object does not become a native Pages equation merely because you change the preferred editor. Wiris states that equations inserted as MathType objects cannot be edited with Pages’ LaTeX/MathML editor. Where MathType still runs, its documented translation route uses Cut and Copy Preferences, selecting LaTeX 2.09 or later, then pasting the translated source into Pages’ equation dialog. See the Pages integration instructions.

Inspect translated output carefully. Wiris documents that MathML and LaTeX translation can omit attributes such as bold styling, colour, and some structural additions. Compare the mathematical structure as well as its appearance with the original reference. See MathType known issues.

Use the legacy MathType route only on a compatible Mac

If you are maintaining an existing Mojave setup that meets Wiris’ requirements, test a fresh equation using the menu integration. With MathType selected as the equation editor, choose Insert > Equation in Pages, create x+1=2 in MathType, and close the MathType equation window to return it to Pages.

Wiris recommends that menu route over direct graphical copy and paste, which can produce floating or misaligned equations and may prevent later editing. Its instructions are specific to the legacy integration; they are not evidence of compatibility with newer macOS releases. See Using MathType with Pages, Keynote, Numbers.

If the new menu-inserted object works while the old pasted object remains grey, use that result to choose a replacement method. Avoid repeatedly pasting the same failing object: it adds no new diagnostic information.

Consider LaTeXiT when an image is sufficient

LaTeXiT offers another way to produce equation artwork, but its published documentation needs careful interpretation. The download page currently lists version 2.16.6, dated 16 December 2023, with a macOS 10.9 minimum. Its changelog records Apple Silicon architecture support in version 2.16.0. Those details do not establish tested compatibility with every subsequent macOS release. See LaTeXiT Downloads.

LaTeXiT also requires a separately installed LaTeX engine. Its Features page explains that dependency and says generated equations are PDF by default, with image conversion available. The FAQ points readers to MacTeX and explains that engine paths can be adjusted in the Composition preferences.

If LaTeXiT runs on your setup, render a simple expression there first. Confirm that the output looks correct independently of Pages, then export an image such as PNG for a placement test. Apple documents dragging an image from Finder into a Pages document in Add an image in Pages on Mac.

This route provides a visible graphic. Keep the editable source separately: LaTeXiT warns that embedded source metadata in PNG, TIFF, and JPEG can be truncated, and that receiving applications may alter PDF data needed to recover the source. Its FAQ recommends PDF where possible for reopening equations, but that does not guarantee a Pages-to-LaTeXiT editing round trip. See the LaTeXiT FAQ.

Verify the replacement before removing the grey box

Check the replacement at its intended reading size, save the working document, close it, and reopen it. Confirm both visibility and the editing behaviour you need. For a native Pages equation, check its source again; for an image, confirm that you retained the separate editable original.

Also inspect placement. Apple distinguishes inline equations, which move with text, from floating equations; page-layout documents add new equations as floating objects. Choose the appropriate location during insertion rather than treating a positioning difference as another rendering failure. See Apple’s Pages equation guide.

Replace the grey object only after the new expression is correct and survives reopening. If the blank-document test also fails, keep the original and record the application versions, insertion method, and test result for further troubleshooting. That leaves you with a reproducible problem instead of a document changed by several unverified fixes.

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