Is it possible to print a JPanel from the application?

Question

Hello,
Just a quick question: Is it possible to print a JPanel from your application? I have plotted a graph and I would like user to be able to print this with a click of a button (or similar)
Thanks very much for your help, its appreciated as always.
Harold Clements

Answer 1

It is absolutely possible
Check out my StandardPrint class. Basically all you need to do is
(this is pseudocode. I don't remember the exact names of methods for all this stuff. Look it up if there's a problem)
PrinterJob pd = PrinterJob.createNewJob();
StandardPrint sp = new StandardPrint(yourComponent);
pd.setPageable(sp);
//if you want this
//pd.pageDialog();
pd.doPrint();You are welcome to have use and modify this class but please don't change the package or take credit for it as your own code.
StandardPrint.java
===============
package tjacobs.print;
import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.image.BufferedImage;
import java.awt.print.*;
import javax.print.PrintException;
public class StandardPrint implements Printable, Pageable {
    Component c;
    SpecialPrint sp;
    PageFormat mFormat;
     boolean mScale = false;
     boolean mMaintainRatio = true;
    public StandardPrint(Component c) {
        this.c = c;
        if (c instanceof SpecialPrint) {
            sp = (SpecialPrint)c;
    public StandardPrint(SpecialPrint sp) {
        this.sp = sp;
     public boolean isPrintScaled () {
          return mScale;
     public void setPrintScaled(boolean b) {
          mScale = b;
     public boolean getMaintainsAspect() {
          return mMaintainRatio;
     public void setMaintainsAspect(boolean b) {
          mMaintainRatio = b;
    public void start() throws PrinterException {
        PrinterJob job = PrinterJob.getPrinterJob();
        if (mFormat == null) {
            mFormat = job.defaultPage();
        job.setPageable(this);
        if (job.printDialog()) {
            job.print();
    public void setPageFormat (PageFormat pf) {
        mFormat = pf;
    public void printStandardComponent (Pageable p) throws PrinterException {
        PrinterJob job = PrinterJob.getPrinterJob();
        job.setPageable(p);
        job.print();
    private Dimension getJobSize() {
        if (sp != null) {
            return sp.getPrintSize();
        else {
            return c.getSize();
    public static Image preview (int width, int height, Printable sp, PageFormat pf, int pageNo) {
        BufferedImage im = new BufferedImage(width, height, BufferedImage.TYPE_INT_RGB);
        return preview (im, sp, pf, pageNo);
    public static Image preview (Image im, Printable sp, PageFormat pf, int pageNo) {
        Graphics2D g = (Graphics2D) im.getGraphics();
        int width = im.getWidth(null);
        int height = im.getHeight(null);
        g.setColor(Color.WHITE);
        g.fillRect(0, 0, width, height);
        double hratio = height / pf.getHeight();
        double wratio = width / pf.getWidth();
        //g.scale(hratio, wratio);
        try {
               sp.print(g, pf, pageNo);
          catch(PrinterException pe) {
               pe.printStackTrace();
        g.dispose();
        return im;
    public int print(Graphics gr, PageFormat format, int pageNo) {
        mFormat = format;
        if (pageNo > getNumberOfPages()) {
            return Printable.NO_SUCH_PAGE;
        Graphics2D g = (Graphics2D) gr;
          g.drawRect(0, 0, (int)format.getWidth(), (int)format.getHeight());
        g.translate((int)format.getImageableX(), (int)format.getImageableY());
        Dimension size = getJobSize();
          if (!isPrintScaled()) {
             int horizontal = getNumHorizontalPages();
             int vertical = getNumVerticalPages();
             int horizontalOffset = (int) ((pageNo % horizontal) * format.getImageableWidth());
             int verticalOffset = (int) ((pageNo / vertical) * format.getImageableHeight());
             double ratio = getScreenRatio();
             g.scale(1 / ratio, 1 / ratio);
             g.translate(-horizontalOffset, -verticalOffset);
             if (sp != null) {
                 sp.printerPaint(g);
             else {
                 c.paint(g);
             g.translate(horizontal, vertical);
             g.scale(ratio, ratio);
          else {
             double ratio = getScreenRatio();
             g.scale(1 / ratio, 1 / ratio);
               double xScale = 1.0;
               double yScale = 1.0;
               double wid;
               double ht;
               if (sp != null) {
                    wid = sp.getPrintSize().width;
                    ht = sp.getPrintSize().height;
               else {
                    wid = c.getWidth();
                    ht = c.getHeight();
               xScale = format.getImageableWidth() / wid;
               yScale = format.getImageableHeight() / ht;
               if (getMaintainsAspect()) {
                    xScale = yScale = Math.min(xScale, yScale);
               g.scale(xScale, yScale);
               if (sp != null) {
                    sp.printerPaint(g);
               else {
                    c.paint(g);
               g.scale(1 / xScale, 1 / yScale);
               g.scale(ratio, ratio);
         g.translate((int)-format.getImageableX(), (int)-format.getImageableY());     
        return Printable.PAGE_EXISTS;
    public int getNumHorizontalPages() {
        Dimension size = getJobSize();
        int imWidth = (int)mFormat.getImageableWidth();
        int pWidth = 1 + (int)(size.width / getScreenRatio() / imWidth) - (imWidth == size.width ? 1 : 0);
        return pWidth;
    private double getScreenRatio () {
        double res = Toolkit.getDefaultToolkit().getScreenResolution();
        double ratio = res / 72.0;
        return ratio;
    public int getNumVerticalPages() {
        Dimension size = getJobSize();
        int imHeight = (int)mFormat.getImageableHeight();
        int pHeight = (int) (1 + (size.height / getScreenRatio() / imHeight)) - (imHeight == size.height ? 1 : 0);
        return pHeight;
    public int getNumberOfPages() {
          if (isPrintScaled()) return 1;
        return getNumHorizontalPages() * getNumVerticalPages();
    public Printable getPrintable(int i) {
        return this;
    public PageFormat getPageFormat(int page) {
        if (mFormat == null) {
            PrinterJob job = PrinterJob.getPrinterJob();
            mFormat = job.defaultPage();
        return mFormat;
}