systemfonts

systemfonts is an R package that locates installed fonts on your system and returns the file paths needed to use them. It provides cross-platform font discovery using native libraries (CoreText on Mac, FontConfig on Linux, and Freetype on Windows).

The package solves the problem of finding and accessing fonts programmatically across different operating systems, which is particularly useful for graphics devices and plotting systems. It can query font metadata, search through all available system fonts, and manage custom fonts that aren’t installed system-wide by loading them from local directories or downloading them from online repositories like Google Fonts. It also provides a C API for use in compiled code, making it valuable for package developers building graphics capabilities.