# LaTeX commands not working with LaTeXStrings eg \\mathfrak, \\boldsymbol

**URL:** <https://discourse.julialang.org/t/latex-commands-not-working-with-latexstrings-eg-mathfrak-boldsymbol/69448>\
**Category:** General Usage\
**Tags:** pyplot, latex\
**Created:** [October 8, 2021, 5:59pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/latex-commands-not-working-with-latexstrings-eg-mathfrak-boldsymbol/69448 "2021-10-08T17:59:31Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
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**Author:** ![stevengj](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/stevengj/32/71_2.png) [@stevengj](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/stevengj)\
**Post date:** [October 8, 2021, 6:10pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/latex-commands-not-working-with-latexstrings-eg-mathfrak-boldsymbol/69448/2 "2021-10-08T18:10:46Z")

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> [@mleprovost](#):
>
> Some routines like \boldsymbol or \mathfrak don’t work for me with LaTeXStrings

First, realize that the LaTeXStrings package does not do any LaTeX rendering — it’s simply a way of entering strings of LaTeX math without lots of escapes. The actually rendering is done by the plotting backend, which in your example is Matplotlib (via PyPlot.jl). Matplotlib, in turn, uses [its own LaTeX math renderer](https://matplotlib.org/2.0.2/users/mathtext.html). Some other Plots.jl backends use mathjax, some use [MathTeXEngine.jl](https://github.com/Kolaru/MathTeXEngine.jl/), and yet other plotting backends don’t support LaTeX math at all.

Typically, the most you can hope for that these backends render _standard LaTeX math_ macros. The `\mathfrak` macro, however, is **not** standard LaTeX — it is provided by the `amsfonts` package. Similarly, `\boldsymbol` is provided by `amsbsy` (included by `amsmath`).

(If you want, it is possible to [get Matplotlib to use a full LaTeX renderer](https://matplotlib.org/2.0.2/users/usetex.html), assuming you have it installed, in which case you can use arbitrary LaTeX packages if you configure things correctly.)

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