xetex

Unicode TeX engine with system fonts

TLDR

Compile document

$ xetex [document.tex]

Output to specific name

$ xetex -jobname=[output] [document.tex]

Non-stop mode

$ xetex -interaction=nonstopmode [document.tex]

Output to specific directory

$ xetex -output-directory=[path/to/dir] [document.tex]

SYNOPSIS

xetex [-interaction mode] [-jobname name] [options] file

XeTeX is an extended TeX typesetting engine that adds native Unicode and modern font support to the traditional TeX system. Unlike classic TeX engines that are limited to 8-bit encodings, XeTeX handles the full range of Unicode characters natively, making it suitable for multilingual documents and scripts from any writing system.One of XeTeX's most significant features is its ability to use system-installed fonts directly, including OpenType and TrueType fonts, without requiring TeX-specific font installations. This gives authors access to the full range of fonts available on their system, along with advanced OpenType features such as ligatures, stylistic alternates, and font variations.XeTeX produces PDF output directly through the xdvipdfmx backend. It is commonly used through the xelatex wrapper which provides the familiar LaTeX macro layer on top of the XeTeX engine, combining LaTeX's document structuring capabilities with XeTeX's Unicode and font handling.

PARAMETERS

-interaction MODE

Error handling mode.

-jobname NAME

Output name.

-output-directory DIR

Output location.

-halt-on-error

Stop on first error.

-no-pdf

Generate XDV output instead of PDF.

-output-driver CMD

Run CMD instead of xdvipdfmx to translate XDV to PDF.

-papersize STRING

Set PDF media size to STRING.

-synctex=NUMBER

Enable SyncTeX for editor integration (1 to enable).

CAVEATS

Input files must use UTF-8 encoding. The `fontspec` package is recommended for font selection when using XeLaTeX. Some pdfTeX-specific packages (e.g., `microtype` features) have limited support. The `-no-pdf` flag produces XDV (extended DVI) output that can be processed separately with `xdvipdfmx`.

HISTORY

XeTeX was created by Jonathan Kew in 2004 to add native Unicode and modern font support to TeX. It was originally developed for macOS using Apple's AAT font technology, later extending support to OpenType via ICU and HarfBuzz on all platforms.