How to print JTextPane containing JTextFields, JLabels and JButtons?

Question

Hi!
I want to print a JTextPane that contains components like JTextFields, JLabels and JButtons but I do not know how to do this. I use the print-method that is available for JTextComponent since Java 1.6. My problem is that the text of JTextPane is printed but not the components.
I wrote this small programm to demonstrate my problem:
import javax.swing.*;
import javax.swing.text.*;
import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.print.PrinterException;
public class TextPaneTest2 extends JFrame {
     private void insertStringInTextPane(String text,
               StyledDocument doc) {
          try {
               doc.insertString(doc.getLength(), text, new SimpleAttributeSet());
          catch (BadLocationException x) {
               x.printStackTrace();
     private void insertTextFieldInTextPane(String text,
               JTextPane tp) {
          JTextField tf = new JTextField(text);
          tp.setCaretPosition(tp.getDocument().getLength());
          tp.insertComponent(tf);
     private void insertButtonInTextPane(String text,
               JTextPane tp) {
          JButton button = new JButton(text) {
               public Dimension getMaximumSize() {
                    return this.getPreferredSize();
          tp.setCaretPosition(tp.getDocument().getLength());
          tp.insertComponent(button);
     private void insertLabelInTextPane(String text,
               JTextPane tp) {
          JLabel label = new JLabel(text) {
               public Dimension getMaximumSize() {
                    return this.getPreferredSize();
          tp.setCaretPosition(tp.getDocument().getLength());
          tp.insertComponent(label);
     public TextPaneTest2() {
          StyledDocument doc = new DefaultStyledDocument();
          StyledDocument printDoc = new DefaultStyledDocument();
          JTextPane tp = new JTextPane(doc);
          JTextPane printTp = new JTextPane(printDoc);
          this.insertStringInTextPane("Text ", doc);
          this.insertStringInTextPane("Text ", printDoc);
          this.insertTextFieldInTextPane("Field", tp);
          this.insertTextFieldInTextPane("Field", printTp);
          this.insertStringInTextPane(" Text ", doc);
          this.insertStringInTextPane(" Text ", printDoc);
          this.insertButtonInTextPane("Button", tp);
          this.insertButtonInTextPane("Button", printTp);
          this.insertStringInTextPane(" Text ", doc);
          this.insertStringInTextPane(" Text ", printDoc);
          this.insertLabelInTextPane("Label", tp);
          this.insertLabelInTextPane("Label", printTp);
          this.insertStringInTextPane(" Text Text", doc);
          this.insertStringInTextPane(" Text Text", printDoc);
          tp.setEditable(false);
          printTp.setEditable(false);
          this.getContentPane().add(tp);
          this.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
          this.setSize(400,400);
          this.setVisible(true);
          JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(tp, "Start printing");
          try {
               tp.print();
          } catch (PrinterException e) {
               e.printStackTrace();
          try {
               printTp.print();
          } catch (PrinterException e) {
               e.printStackTrace();
     public static void main(String[] args) {
          new TextPaneTest2();
}First the components are shown correctly in JTextPane, but when printing is started they vanish. So I created another textPane just for printing. But this does not work either. The components are not printed. Does anybody know how to solve this?
Thanks!

Answer 1

I do not know how I should try printComponent. From the API-Doc of JComponent of printComponent: This is invoked during a printing operation. This is implemented to invoke paintComponent on the component. Override this if you wish to add special painting behavior when printing. The method print() in JTextComponent is completely different, it starts the print-job. I do not understand how to try printComponent. It won't start a print-job.