# TikZ - Circled text number in superscript - Missing $I'm using TikZ to create some circles with numbers as some sort of marker. But I want to use them as superscript. So to generate a circle I'm using this command (suggested here: Good way to make \textcircled numbers?): \newcommand*\circled[1]{\tikz[baseline=(char.base)]{ \node[shape=circle,fill=blue!20,draw,inner sep=0.5pt] (char) {#1};}}  To use it within the text (as superscript) I'm using: text^{\circled{1}}  However I get the following error: > Description Resource Path Location Type Missing$ inserted. ... & 24 &
> 8 & 32^{\circleds{3}} & (followed by: 0      & 24    & 8
> \\)   doc.tex /doc line 287   Texlipse Build Error


Any suggestions of why is that?

Here is an small code example.

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{tikz}
\usetikzlibrary{calc}
\newcommand*\circled[1]{\tikz[baseline=(char.base)]{
\node[shape=circle,fill=blue!20,draw,inner sep=0.5pt] (char) {#1};}}

\begin{document}
This works: \circled{3}. But this^{\circled{1}} is no good.
\end{document}

• Welcome to TeX - LaTeX! – SAM Jun 30 '16 at 18:00
• The superscript character ^ is a command to be used in math mode. If you provided a minimal version of the code that fails, we could answer more definitively, but text^{anything} will fail irrespective of tikz, if it is not already in math mode. Maybe try text\textsuperscript{\circled{1}} – Steven B. Segletes Jun 30 '16 at 18:01
• ^ works only in math mode, so you may try $text^{\circled{1}}$ – SAM Jun 30 '16 at 18:02
• Just tried. It seems to ignore the \circled{1} and just place the number 1. – rph Jun 30 '16 at 18:03
• @SAM That would but the "text" part in math mode too, – Steven B. Segletes Jun 30 '16 at 18:03

As discussed in numerous comments, the underlying problem was that ^ was invoked in text, not math mode. Here are two possibilities, depending on how you want it to behave.

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{tikz}
\usetikzlibrary{calc}
\newcommand*\circled[1]{\tikz[baseline=(char.base)]{
\node[shape=circle,fill=blue!20,draw,inner sep=0.5pt] (char) {#1};}}

\begin{document}
This works: \circled{3}. But this\textsuperscript{\circled{1}} is no good.

This works: \circled{3}. But this$^{\circled{1}}$ is no good.
\end{document}


• Great!! You guys are ninja!! That works. – rph Jun 30 '16 at 18:12