Missing fonts when running LaTeX on macOS

🛠 Tools and Programming
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Refer to here for a piece of code using pandoc and LaTeX, which produces the best PDF format when converting markdown.

import pypandoc

def md_to_pdf_pandoc(input_md, output_pdf):
    try:
        # Use custom LaTeX template or inline styles
        output = pypandoc.convert_file(
            input_md, 'pdf',
            outputfile=output_pdf,
            extra_args=[
                '--pdf-engine=xelatex',
                '-V', 'documentclass=ctexart',
                '-V', 'CJKmainfont=PingFang SC',         # Chinese main font
                '-V', 'mainfont=XITS',                # Set main font to XITS
                '-V', 'mathfont=XITS Math',           # Set math font to XITS Math
                '-V', 'monofont=DejaVu Sans Mono',    # Monospaced font (code blocks)

                # '-V', 'geometry:margin=1in',    # Set page margin
                # '--template=eisvogel',  # Use custom template
                # '--listings',
                # '--highlight-style=pygments'    # Use syntax highlighting style (with background)
            ]
        )
        print(f"PDF generated: {output_pdf}")
    except Exception as e:
        print("Conversion failed:", str(e))

But running it gives an error about missing fonts:

Conversion failed: Pandoc died with exitcode "43" during conversion: Error producing PDF.
! Package fontspec Error: 
(fontspec)                The font "PingFang SC" cannot be found; this may
(fontspec)                be but usually is not a fontspec bug. Either there
(fontspec)                is a typo in the font name/file, the font is not
(fontspec)                installed (correctly), or there is a bug in the
(fontspec)                underlying font loading engine (XeTeX/luaotfload).

For immediate help type H <return>.
 ...                                             
 
l.28     \setCJKmainfont[]{PingFang SC}

That’s strange, how could my Mac not have PingFang?

I searched using the following command in the terminal, and indeed, PingFang is not found:

fc-list | grep -i "PingFang"

Then I used this command to check fonts that support Chinese, still no PingFang:

fc-list :lang=zh

/System/Library/Fonts/STHeiti Medium.ttc: Heiti SC,黑體\-簡,黒体\-簡,Heiti\-간체,黑体\-简:style=Medium,中黑,Halbfett,Normaali,Moyen,Medio,ミディアム,중간체,Médio,Средний,Normal,中等,Media
/System/Library/Fonts/STHeiti Light.ttc: Heiti TC,黑體\-繁,黒体\-繁,Heiti\-번체,黑体\-繁:style=Light,細體,Mager,Fein,Ohut,Fin,Leggero,ライト,가는체,Licht,Tynn,Leve,Светлый,细体,Fina
/System/Library/Fonts/Supplemental/Songti.ttc: Songti SC,宋體\-簡,宋体\-简:style=Light,細體,细体
/System/Library/Fonts/Supplemental/Songti.ttc: Songti TC,宋體\-繁,宋体\-繁:style=Regular,標準體,常规体
/System/Library/Fonts/Supplemental/Songti.ttc: Songti SC,宋體\-簡,宋体\-简:style=Regular,標準體,常规体
/System/Library/Fonts/Supplemental/Songti.ttc: Songti TC,宋體\-繁,宋体\-繁:style=Light,細體,细体
/System/Library/Fonts/Supplemental/Songti.ttc: Songti SC,宋體\-簡,宋体\-简:style=Black,黑體,黑体
/Library/Fonts/Arial Unicode.ttf: Arial Unicode MS:style=Regular,Normal,obyčejné,Standard,Κανονικά,Normaali,Normál,Normale,Standaard,Normalny,Обычный,Normálne,Navadno,Arrunta
/System/Library/Fonts/Hiragino Sans GB.ttc: .Hiragino Sans GB Interface:style=W6
/System/Library/Fonts/Hiragino Sans GB.ttc: .Hiragino Sans GB Interface:style=W3
/System/Library/Fonts/Supplemental/Arial Unicode.ttf: Arial Unicode MS:style=Regular,Normal,obyčejné,Standard,Κανονικά,Normaali,Normál,Normale,Standaard,Normalny,Обычный,Normálne,Navadno,Arrunta
/System/Library/Fonts/STHeiti Medium.ttc: Heiti TC,黑體\-繁,黒体\-繁,Heiti\-번체,黑体\-繁:style=Medium,中黑,Halbfett,Normaali,Moyen,Medio,ミディアム,중간체,Médio,Средний,Normal,中等,Media
/System/Library/Fonts/Supplemental/Songti.ttc: Songti SC,宋體\-簡,宋体\-简:style=Bold,粗體,粗体
/System/Library/Fonts/STHeiti Light.ttc: Heiti SC,黑體\-簡,黒体\-簡,Heiti\-간체,黑体\-简:style=Light,細體,Mager,Fein,Ohut,Fin,Leggero,ライト,가는체,Licht,Tynn,Leve,Светлый,细体,Fina
/System/Library/Fonts/Supplemental/Songti.ttc: Songti TC,宋體\-繁,宋体\-繁:style=Bold,粗體,粗体
/System/Library/Fonts/Hiragino Sans GB.ttc: Hiragino Sans GB,冬青黑體簡體中文,冬青黑体简体中文,Hiragino Sans GB W6,冬青黑體簡體中文 W6,冬青黑体简体中文 W6:style=W6,Bold
/System/Library/Fonts/Supplemental/Songti.ttc: STSong:style=Regular,標準體,Ordinær,Normal,Normaali,Regolare,レギュラー,일반체,Regulier,Обычный,常规体
/System/Library/Fonts/Hiragino Sans GB.ttc: Hiragino Sans GB,冬青黑體簡體中文,冬青黑体简体中文,Hiragino Sans GB W3,冬青黑體簡體中文 W3,冬青黑体简体中文 W3:style=W3,Regular
/System/Library/Fonts/LastResort.otf: .LastResort:style=Regular

However, by running this command, PingFang font can be clearly seen:

system_profiler SPFontsDataType > output.txt

Here is a partial excerpt:

PingFangUI.ttc:

      Kind: TrueType
      Valid: Yes
      Enabled: Yes
      Location: /System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/FontServices.framework/Resources/Reserved/PingFangUI.ttc
      Typefaces:
        PingFangSC-Semibold:
          Full Name: PingFang SC Semibold
          Family: PingFang SC
          Style: Semibold
          Version: 21.0d7e1
          Unique Name: 蘋方-簡; 21.0d7e1; 2025-07-22
          Copyright: © 2024-2025 Apple Inc. All rights reserved.
          Outline: Yes
          Valid: Yes
          Enabled: Yes
          Duplicate: No
          Copy Protected: No
          Embeddable: Yes
        PingFangHK-Semibold:
          Full Name: PingFang HK Semibold
          Family: PingFang HK
          Style: Semibold
          Version: 21.0d7e1
          Unique Name: 蘋方-港; 21.0d7e1; 2025-07-22
          Copyright: © 2024-2025 Apple Inc. All rights reserved.
          Outline: Yes
          Valid: Yes
          Enabled: Yes
          Duplicate: No
          Copy Protected: No
          Embeddable: Yes

After discussion with AI battle, it turns out that * PingFang does exist in macOS, but it is located in PrivateFrameworks/FontServices, it’s a private system font, so fc-list won’t show it, nor is it in the regular Fontconfig index.

So what can I do if I want to use it?

Forget it, download a PingFang ttf font instead, you cannot use /System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/FontServices.framework/Resources/Reserved/PingFangUI.ttc, it won’t be recognized.

Copy and paste the new font into ~/Library/Fonts, then it can be used.