<h3 dir="auto">Bug summary</h3>
<p dir="auto">There are two problems here. They might be related so I put them both in the bug report.</p>
<p dir="auto">1: I want to write <math-renderer class="js-inline-math" style="display: inline" data-static-url="https://github.githubassets.com/static" data-run-id="e08f9990c56e13bd65090ac6548082e0">$\sigma_{-}^{asdf}$</math-renderer> with asdf as superscript and - as subscript in the legend. When I use font size larger than 25, i.e. from 26 and upwards, the - sign disappears.</p>
<p dir="auto">2: Also, when I write <math-renderer class="js-inline-math" style="display: inline" data-static-url="https://github.githubassets.com/static" data-run-id="e08f9990c56e13bd65090ac6548082e0">$\sigma_{-}$</math-renderer> the lowest part of the \sigma symbol does not show in the legend for font sizes larger than 23, i.e. from 24 and upwards.</p>
<h3 dir="auto">Code for reproduction</h3>
<div class="highlight highlight-source-python notranslate position-relative overflow-auto" dir="auto" data-snippet-clipboard-copy-content="import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
plt.rc('font', size=26) # set font size in plots

fig, ax = plt.subplots(figsize=(12, 12))

x = [1,2,3,4]
y = [1,2,3,4]

ax.plot(x, y, label=r'$\sigma^{asdf}$')
ax.plot(x, y, label=r'$\sigma_{-}$')
ax.plot(x, y, label=r'$\sigma_{-}^{asdf}$')
ax.plot(x, y, label=r'$\sigma_{+}^{asdf}$')
ax.legend()
plt.show()"><pre class="notranslate"><span class="pl-k">import</span> <span class="pl-s1">matplotlib</span>.<span class="pl-s1">pyplot</span> <span class="pl-k">as</span> <span class="pl-s1">plt</span>
<span class="pl-s1">plt</span>.<span class="pl-en">rc</span>(<span class="pl-s">'font'</span>, <span class="pl-s1">size</span><span class="pl-c1">=</span><span class="pl-c1">26</span>) <span class="pl-c"># set font size in plots</span>

<span class="pl-s1">fig</span>, <span class="pl-s1">ax</span> <span class="pl-c1">=</span> <span class="pl-s1">plt</span>.<span class="pl-en">subplots</span>(<span class="pl-s1">figsize</span><span class="pl-c1">=</span>(<span class="pl-c1">12</span>, <span class="pl-c1">12</span>))

<span class="pl-s1">x</span> <span class="pl-c1">=</span> [<span class="pl-c1">1</span>,<span class="pl-c1">2</span>,<span class="pl-c1">3</span>,<span class="pl-c1">4</span>]
<span class="pl-s1">y</span> <span class="pl-c1">=</span> [<span class="pl-c1">1</span>,<span class="pl-c1">2</span>,<span class="pl-c1">3</span>,<span class="pl-c1">4</span>]

<span class="pl-s1">ax</span>.<span class="pl-en">plot</span>(<span class="pl-s1">x</span>, <span class="pl-s1">y</span>, <span class="pl-s1">label</span><span class="pl-c1">=</span><span class="pl-s">r'$\sigma^{asdf}$'</span>)
<span class="pl-s1">ax</span>.<span class="pl-en">plot</span>(<span class="pl-s1">x</span>, <span class="pl-s1">y</span>, <span class="pl-s1">label</span><span class="pl-c1">=</span><span class="pl-s">r'$\sigma_{-}$'</span>)
<span class="pl-s1">ax</span>.<span class="pl-en">plot</span>(<span class="pl-s1">x</span>, <span class="pl-s1">y</span>, <span class="pl-s1">label</span><span class="pl-c1">=</span><span class="pl-s">r'$\sigma_{-}^{asdf}$'</span>)
<span class="pl-s1">ax</span>.<span class="pl-en">plot</span>(<span class="pl-s1">x</span>, <span class="pl-s1">y</span>, <span class="pl-s1">label</span><span class="pl-c1">=</span><span class="pl-s">r'$\sigma_{+}^{asdf}$'</span>)
<span class="pl-s1">ax</span>.<span class="pl-en">legend</span>()
<span class="pl-s1">plt</span>.<span class="pl-en">show</span>()</pre></div>
<h3 dir="auto">Actual outcome</h3>
<p dir="auto"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/65549701/142730918-6ab0b6e4-3584-4813-85ef-1297741cd579.png"><img src="https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/65549701/142730918-6ab0b6e4-3584-4813-85ef-1297741cd579.png" alt="fig" style="max-width: 100%;"></a></p>
<h3 dir="auto">Expected outcome</h3>
<ol dir="auto">
<li>Both superscript and - subscript shows for larger font sizes (up to a sensible value).</li>
<li>Entire math symbol shows for larger font sizes (up to a sensible value).</li>
</ol>
<h3 dir="auto">Additional information</h3>
<p dir="auto"><em>No response</em></p>
<h3 dir="auto">Operating system</h3>
<p dir="auto">Windows 10</p>
<h3 dir="auto">Matplotlib Version</h3>
<p dir="auto">3.4.3</p>
<h3 dir="auto">Matplotlib Backend</h3>
<p dir="auto">module://matplotlib_inline.backend_inline</p>
<h3 dir="auto">Python version</h3>
<p dir="auto">3.8.12</p>
<h3 dir="auto">Jupyter version</h3>
<p dir="auto">6.4.6</p>
<h3 dir="auto">Installation</h3>
<p dir="auto">conda</p>
<h3 dir="auto">Bug report</h3>
<p dir="auto"><strong>Bug summary</strong></p>
<p dir="auto">When using the star (*) symbol in a <code class="notranslate">text</code> box, it cuts off the bottom of the text when saved (<code class="notranslate">savefig</code>). This is only the case when <code class="notranslate">usetex=False</code> in <code class="notranslate">rcParams</code>.</p>
<p dir="auto"><strong>Code for reproduction</strong></p>
<div class="highlight highlight-source-python notranslate position-relative overflow-auto" dir="auto" data-snippet-clipboard-copy-content="import matplotlib
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt

from matplotlib import rc
rc('text', usetex=False)

fig, ax = plt.subplots(1,1)
ax.text(0.5, 0.5, '$S_{*} M^{ath}$ and some not math',
         transform=ax.transAxes)
plt.savefig('test1.png', bbox_inches='tight')"><pre class="notranslate"><span class="pl-k">import</span> <span class="pl-s1">matplotlib</span>
<span class="pl-k">import</span> <span class="pl-s1">matplotlib</span>.<span class="pl-s1">pyplot</span> <span class="pl-k">as</span> <span class="pl-s1">plt</span>

<span class="pl-k">from</span> <span class="pl-s1">matplotlib</span> <span class="pl-k">import</span> <span class="pl-s1">rc</span>
<span class="pl-en">rc</span>(<span class="pl-s">'text'</span>, <span class="pl-s1">usetex</span><span class="pl-c1">=</span><span class="pl-c1">False</span>)

<span class="pl-s1">fig</span>, <span class="pl-s1">ax</span> <span class="pl-c1">=</span> <span class="pl-s1">plt</span>.<span class="pl-en">subplots</span>(<span class="pl-c1">1</span>,<span class="pl-c1">1</span>)
<span class="pl-s1">ax</span>.<span class="pl-en">text</span>(<span class="pl-c1">0.5</span>, <span class="pl-c1">0.5</span>, <span class="pl-s">'$S_{*} M^{ath}$ and some not math'</span>,
         <span class="pl-s1">transform</span><span class="pl-c1">=</span><span class="pl-s1">ax</span>.<span class="pl-s1">transAxes</span>)
<span class="pl-s1">plt</span>.<span class="pl-en">savefig</span>(<span class="pl-s">'test1.png'</span>, <span class="pl-s1">bbox_inches</span><span class="pl-c1">=</span><span class="pl-s">'tight'</span>)</pre></div>
<p dir="auto"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/4648092/65336879-07f14680-dbbf-11e9-9a0f-43fc495b20cc.png"><img src="https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/4648092/65336879-07f14680-dbbf-11e9-9a0f-43fc495b20cc.png" alt="test2" style="max-width: 100%;"></a></p>
<p dir="auto">You can see the bottom of the text box is cut off. Whereas this plots fine:</p>
<div class="highlight highlight-source-python notranslate position-relative overflow-auto" dir="auto" data-snippet-clipboard-copy-content="fig, ax = plt.subplots(1,1)
ax.text(0.5, 0.5, '$S_{ome} M^{ath}$ and some not math',
         transform=ax.transAxes)
plt.savefig('test1.png', bbox_inches='tight')"><pre class="notranslate"><span class="pl-s1">fig</span>, <span class="pl-s1">ax</span> <span class="pl-c1">=</span> <span class="pl-s1">plt</span>.<span class="pl-en">subplots</span>(<span class="pl-c1">1</span>,<span class="pl-c1">1</span>)
<span class="pl-s1">ax</span>.<span class="pl-en">text</span>(<span class="pl-c1">0.5</span>, <span class="pl-c1">0.5</span>, <span class="pl-s">'$S_{ome} M^{ath}$ and some not math'</span>,
         <span class="pl-s1">transform</span><span class="pl-c1">=</span><span class="pl-s1">ax</span>.<span class="pl-s1">transAxes</span>)
<span class="pl-s1">plt</span>.<span class="pl-en">savefig</span>(<span class="pl-s">'test1.png'</span>, <span class="pl-s1">bbox_inches</span><span class="pl-c1">=</span><span class="pl-s">'tight'</span>)</pre></div>
<p dir="auto"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/4648092/65336976-32db9a80-dbbf-11e9-98bf-306e5166ad9b.png"><img src="https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/4648092/65336976-32db9a80-dbbf-11e9-98bf-306e5166ad9b.png" alt="test1" style="max-width: 100%;"></a></p>
<p dir="auto"><strong>Matplotlib version</strong></p>
<ul dir="auto">
<li>Operating system: Unix</li>
<li>Matplotlib version: 3.1.1</li>
<li>Matplotlib backend (<code class="notranslate">print(matplotlib.get_backend())</code>): TkAgg</li>
<li>Python version: Python 3.6.8 (default, Apr 25 2019, 21:02:35)</li>
</ul>
<p dir="auto">matplotlib installed from pip</p>
<ul dir="auto">
<li>Other libraries:</li>
</ul>
<p dir="auto">cycler==0.10.0<br>
kiwisolver==1.1.0<br>
numpy==1.17.2<br>
pyparsing==2.4.2<br>
python-dateutil==2.8.0<br>
six==1.12.0</p>