How cover.cls Handles Multilingual Cover Letters with fontspec

The cover.cls LaTeX class delegates all multilingual typography to the fontspec package, enabling Unicode support for any language by allowing users to load OpenType fonts with the required glyphs.

The cover.cls class in the MadsLorentzen/ai-job-search repository provides a lightweight framework for professional cover letters. By building on top of the standard article class and integrating fontspec, it creates a flexible system for multilingual cover letters with fontspec that supports any Unicode script without internal language-specific modifications.

Unicode Support Through fontspec

Engine Configuration

In cover_letters/cover.cls at line 17, the class loads the fontspec engine along with its helper packages:

\usepackage{fontspec,xltxtra,xunicode}   % line 17

This configuration instructs XeLaTeX or LuaLaTeX to interpret the source as UTF-8 Unicode, eliminating the need for legacy input encodings like latin1 or utf8. By relying on modern TeX engines, the class ensures that characters from any writing system pass through unchanged to the font renderer.

Default Latin Font Families

Lines 30-34 define the primary font families using bundled OpenType fonts from the cover_letters/OpenFonts/ directory:

\setmainfont[Color=primary, Path = OpenFonts/fonts/lato/, …]{Lato-Lig}
\setsansfont[Scale=MatchLowercase,Mapping=tex‑text, Path = OpenFonts/fonts/raleway/]{Raleway-ExtraLight}

These defaults provide high-quality Latin typography but contain only Western glyphs. The class itself does not embed additional language-specific fonts, keeping the implementation lightweight.

Customizing Fonts for Multilingual Content

Overriding Default Fonts

To write in languages requiring Cyrillic, Arabic, or CJK characters, users can redefine the font families in the document preamble. Because cover.cls does not lock font configurations after loading, subsequent \setmainfont commands override the defaults:

\usepackage{fontspec}
\setmainfont{DejaVu Serif}
\setsansfont{DejaVu Sans}

This approach allows the \namesection, \lettercontent, and other class commands to automatically use the newly specified Unicode-compatible fonts. The class handles layout (margins, spacing, and sectioning) while fontspec manages glyph rendering.

Language-Specific Typography with babel

For advanced hyphenation and localization rules, users may load babel or polyglossia before invoking \documentclass{cover}. The class does not interfere with these packages, ensuring that language-specific commands like \foreignlanguage function correctly alongside the fontspec-based font management.

Working Examples for Multilingual Documents

German Cover Letter with DejaVu Fonts

This example demonstrates umlaut support by loading DejaVu fonts that contain extended Latin glyphs:

\documentclass{cover}
\usepackage{fontspec}
\setmainfont[Path=OpenFonts/fonts/dejavu/]{DejaVuSerif.ttf}
\setsansfont[Path=OpenFonts/fonts/dejavu/]{DejaVuSans.ttf}

\begin{document}
\namesection{Max Mustermann}{\href{mailto:max@example.com}{max@example.com}}{+49 123 456 789}
\companyname{Beispiel GmbH}
\companyaddress{Musterstraße 1\\12345 Beispielstadt}
\currentdate{1. Januar 2026}
\lettercontent{
Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren,

mit großem Interesse bewerbe ich mich für die Position ….
}
\closing{Mit freundlichen Grüßen}
\signature{Max Mustermann}
\end{document}

Arabic Cover Letter with Noto Fonts

For right-to-left Arabic script, load a compatible font and apply it within the content using \newfontfamily:

\documentclass{cover}
\usepackage{fontspec}
\newfontfamily\arabicfont[Script=Arabic, Path=OpenFonts/fonts/noto/]{NotoNaskhArabic-Regular.ttf}
\setmainfont[Path=OpenFonts/fonts/noto/]{NotoSans-Regular.ttf}

\begin{document}
\namesection{علي أحمد}{\href{mailto:ali@example.com}{ali@example.com}}{+966 555 123 456}
\companyname{شركة المثال}
\companyaddress{الشارع الرئيسي 2\\الرياض 11564}
\currentdate{١ يناير ٢٠٢٦}
\lettercontent{
\arabicfont
السادة الأعزاء،

أرغب في التقدم للوظيفة ….
}
\closing{مع خالص التحية}
\signature{علي أحمد}
\end{document}

Summary

• cover.cls relies on fontspec (loaded at line 17 in cover_letters/cover.cls) to handle all font rendering, making it inherently Unicode-compatible.
• The class bundles Latin-only fonts (Lato and Raleway) in cover_letters/OpenFonts/ but allows complete override through standard \setmainfont and \setsansfont commands.
• Users enable multilingual support by loading OpenType fonts containing the necessary glyphs for their target language before or after the document class declaration.
• The class remains compatible with babel and polyglossia for hyphenation and localization, delegating typography to the user's font choices while maintaining layout consistency.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does cover.cls support Japanese or Chinese characters?

Yes. Since the class uses fontspec for font management, you can typeset CJK characters by loading a font that includes those glyphs, such as Noto Sans CJK or Source Han Sans, using \setmainfont or \newfontfamily in your preamble. The class itself does not restrict character ranges.

Why does the default font not display my language correctly?

The default fonts (Lato-Lig and Raleway-ExtraLight defined in lines 30-34 of cover.cls) only include Latin script glyphs. You must replace them with Unicode fonts supporting your specific language using fontspec commands in your document preamble.

Can I use polyglossia instead of babel with cover.cls?

Yes. cover.cls does not impose constraints on language packages. You can load polyglossia or babel before the document class to manage hyphenation patterns and text direction while fontspec handles the font rendering.

Do I need to modify cover.cls to add a new language?

No. Keep the class file unchanged. Simply provide a font with the required Unicode coverage in your .tex file preamble, and optionally load babel or polyglossia for language-specific typographic rules.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "instagit": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "instagit@latest"]
    }
  }
}