# Get a thicker \bar

How to get a \bar more thicker (0.8pt for example) than usual and fit all character?

• The normal syntax formatting like backticks don't work in titles and should be avoided there. Please also make sure to start the title and the text with an uppercase letter. Thanks. Apr 25, 2011 at 12:24
• Sure. I hope I'm not to annoying. :-) Apr 25, 2011 at 13:55
• Related Question (with tikz solution): a bolder \overline [duplicate] Mar 9, 2014 at 22:53

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{accents}
\newcommand\thickbar[1]{\accentset{\rule{.4em}{.8pt}}{#1}}
\begin{document}

$\bar A$ VS $\thickbar A$

\end{document}


You can change the width and height of the rule as you wish.

• But when I added a \Large command, the thickness of thickbar turned thiner than in normalsize... Apr 26, 2011 at 2:28
• You can use em as height unit. Apr 26, 2011 at 6:04
• Am I wrong or the accents package is not available in Miktex? Is there a substitute for Miktex? Apr 18, 2012 at 12:59
• @JuanBermejoVega: I have accents package in MiKTeX. Apr 18, 2012 at 14:18
• Thanks, it's solved. The problem was that accents is inside a bundle called bezos, which is the one that features in the Package Manager: original link. And +1 for the help, it is nice to have this symbol if you use overline for complex numbers. Apr 18, 2012 at 15:26
\makeatletter
\newcommand{\thickbar}{\mathpalette\@thickbar}
\newcommand{\@thickbar}[2]{{#1\mkern1.5mu\vbox{
\sbox\z@{$#1\mkern-1.5mu#2\mkern-1.5mu$}%
\sbox\tw@{$#1\overline{#2}$}%
\dimen@=\dimexpr\ht\tw@-\ht\z@-.8\p@\relax
\hrule\@height.8\p@ % adjust for the desired rule thickness
\vskip\dimen@
\box\z@}\mkern1.5mu}
}
\makeatother


With \mathpalette we make a macro that will do the right thing in all sizes. The first \sbox command sets the argument in the desired size (display, text, script or scriptscript); the second one sets the argument overlined; then we measure the difference, thus computing the clearance between the symbol and the bar above it. Then we draw a rule with the desired thickness, leave the computed clearance and print the symbol.

It's not exactly as wide as \bar, but it should be close enough.

• Compare the \thickbar and the \bar, you'll find their aren't similar in length. Apr 25, 2011 at 12:53
• @Stufazi: see edit. Apr 25, 2011 at 14:01
• The \thickbar{A} get a undesirable accent. Apr 25, 2011 at 23:42