Manage Superscript and Subscript in Python

Add Superscript and Subscript Text

You can add superscript and subscript text to any paragraph portion. In Aspose.Slides, use the escapement property of the PortionFormat class to control this.

escapement is a percentage from -100% to 100%:

• > 0 → superscript (e.g., 25% = slight raise; 100% = full superscript)
• 0 → baseline (no super/subscript)
• < 0 → subscript (e.g., -25% = slight lower; -100% = full subscript)

Steps:

1. Create a Presentation and get a slide.
2. Add a rectangle AutoShape and access its TextFrame.
3. Clear existing paragraphs.
4. For superscript: create a paragraph and a portion, set portion.portion_format.escapement to a value between 0 and 100, set text, and add the portion.
5. For subscript: create another paragraph and portion, set escapement to a value between -100 and 0, set text, and add the portion.
6. Save the presentation as PPTX.

import aspose.slides as slides

with slides.Presentation("pres.pptx") as presentation:
    # Get a slide.
    slide = presentation.slides[0]

    # Create a text box.
    shape = slide.shapes.add_auto_shape(slides.ShapeType.RECTANGLE, 100, 100, 200, 100)
    shape.text_frame.paragraphs.clear()

    # Create a paragraph for superscript text.
    superscript_paragraph = slides.Paragraph()

    # Create a text portion with regular text.
    portion1 = slides.Portion()
    portion1.text = "SlideTitle"
    superscript_paragraph.portions.add(portion1)

    # Create a text portion with superscript text.
    superscript_portion = slides.Portion()
    superscript_portion.portion_format.escapement = 30
    superscript_portion.text = "TM"
    superscript_paragraph.portions.add(superscript_portion)

    # Create a paragraph for the subscript text.
    subscript_paragraph = slides.Paragraph()

    # Create a text portion with regular text.
    portion2 = slides.Portion()
    portion2.text = "a"
    subscript_paragraph.portions.add(portion2)

    # Create a text portion with subscript text.
    subscript_portion = slides.Portion()
    subscript_portion.portion_format.escapement = -25
    subscript_portion.text = "i"
    subscript_paragraph.portions.add(subscript_portion)

    # Add the paragraphs to the text box.
    shape.text_frame.paragraphs.add(superscript_paragraph)
    shape.text_frame.paragraphs.add(subscript_paragraph)

    presentation.save("TestOut.pptx", slides.export.SaveFormat.PPTX)

FAQ

Can I apply superscript/subscript in tables and other containers, not just regular text boxes?

Yes. You can format text as superscript or subscript inside any object that exposes a TextFrame (including table cells). The formatting applies to text portions within that frame.

Will superscripts/subscripts be preserved when exporting to PDF, HTML, or images?

Yes. Aspose.Slides preserves superscript/subscript formatting during export to common formats like PDF, HTML, and raster images because the rendering pipeline respects portion-level text formatting.

Can I combine superscript/subscript with hyperlinks in the same text fragment?

Yes. Hyperlinks are assigned at the portion (fragment) level, so a portion can simultaneously have a hyperlink and be formatted as superscript or subscript.