How to Use Adobe Garamond in LaTeX on Linux

Adobe Garamond can be used as a text font in LaTeX on Linux, but the right setup depends on the font files you have and the engine you compile with. The usual route is to install the licensed OpenType files and compile with XeLaTeX or LuaLaTeX.

The example below sets Adobe Garamond Pro as the document’s main text font. The font’s exact family name may differ on your system, so check that before compiling.

Use XeLaTeX or LuaLaTeX

The fontspec package lets XeLaTeX and LuaLaTeX use fonts installed on your operating system. It does not work with pdfLaTeX. A minimal document is:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{fontspec}
\setmainfont{Adobe Garamond Pro}

\begin{document}
Adobe Garamond in a LaTeX document.

The font is selected for the main text family.
\end{document}

Save the file as garamond.tex and compile it with either:

xelatex garamond.tex

or:

lualatex garamond.tex

If LaTeX reports that it cannot find the font, the family name in \setmainfont probably does not match the name registered by the font. The name of a font file—for example, AGaramondPro-Regular.otf—is not necessarily the family name LaTeX expects.

Install and identify the font

Use Adobe Garamond files that you are licensed to use. On many Linux distributions, user fonts can be installed in ~/.local/share/fonts/; system-wide installation locations vary. After copying the files, refresh the font cache if needed:

fc-cache -f

To see which family Fontconfig finds for a name, try:

fc-match "Adobe Garamond Pro"

If the requested family is unavailable, fc-match may return a fallback font, so inspect the returned family or file rather than treating any result as proof that Adobe Garamond was found. You can also inspect installed font names with fc-list and search its output for “Garamond.” If the family has a different registered name, use that name in \setmainfont. For example, the installed family might be named “Adobe Garamond,” “Adobe Garamond Pro,” or something specific to the files you installed.

If the family has separate regular, bold, and italic files but automatic matching does not work, specify them explicitly. This example assumes the files are named AGaramondPro-Regular.otf, AGaramondPro-Bold.otf, AGaramondPro-Italic.otf, and AGaramondPro-BoldItalic.otf in the indicated directory; replace the path and filename pattern to match your files:

\setmainfont{AGaramondPro}[
  Path = /path/to/fonts/,
  Extension = .otf,
  UprightFont = *-Regular,
  BoldFont = *-Bold,
  ItalicFont = *-Italic,
  BoldItalicFont = *-BoldItalic
]

This filename pattern works only if those names correspond to the installed font files. If it causes a font-not-found error, use the actual filenames and path in the fontspec options instead.

What happens with pdfLaTeX?

pdfLaTeX does not read OpenType fonts directly, so putting \setmainfont in a pdfLaTeX document will not work. Using an Adobe Garamond OpenType font with pdfLaTeX would require a separate, compatible TeX font setup, including suitable font files, metrics, and map configuration. Merely installing the .otf files on Linux is not enough.

If you must use pdfLaTeX, check whether you already have a TeX package and font installation specifically supporting the font you want. Otherwise, use a font available through a pdfLaTeX-compatible package or switch to XeLaTeX or LuaLaTeX. A visually similar font is not necessarily Adobe Garamond; check the font’s actual identity and license before describing it as such.

Text fonts and mathematics

The example changes the document’s text font. It does not automatically provide a matching mathematical font. If you typeset equations, they will normally use the math fonts selected by your other LaTeX packages or the engine’s defaults. Adobe Garamond’s text design should not be assumed to include a complete mathematical font.

For Unicode mathematics, LuaLaTeX or XeLaTeX can use unicode-math with a math font that supports the symbols you need. Choose the math font separately and check that it renders your document’s symbols correctly.

Submitting to arXiv or building elsewhere

A font installed on your Linux computer may not be installed on a remote build server. If your document must compile on arXiv or another service, test the same source in that environment. A successful local build does not prove that the remote system can find Adobe Garamond.

Do not assume you can include the font files with your submission: font licenses differ, and some restrict redistribution or embedding. Check the license terms. If the remote build does not support the font, use a font available in that environment or follow the service’s current guidance for custom fonts. A PDF that displays the font correctly on your computer may still not be reproducible from the submitted source.

Common mistakes

• Compiling with pdfLaTeX: fontspec requires XeLaTeX or LuaLaTeX.
• Guessing the family name: Use Fontconfig or inspect the font’s metadata rather than relying on the filename.
• Having only the regular face: Bold and italic may be substituted or synthesized if the corresponding faces are missing.
• Assuming the math font changes too: \setmainfont sets text, not a complete math alphabet.
• Ignoring remote builds and licensing: A font working locally does not ensure it is available or redistributable elsewhere.