Printing user's entry.

Question

Hi guys
I am trying to print the user's entry from a JTextField. But when I pass it to the print method, all i get is a NULL value. Can anyone point me my mistake ? I'd appreciate it :)
private void btnPrintActionPerformed(java.awt.event.ActionEvent evt) {
        entry = txtEntry.getText().trim();
        // Get the rep of the current printer & print job
        PrinterJob printerJob = PrinterJob.getPrinterJob();
        // Build a book containing pair of page painters (Printables)
        // and PageFormats. This example has a single page.
        Book book = new Book();
        book.append(new Printing(), new PageFormat());
        // Set the obj to be printed (book) into PrinterJob.
        printerJob.setPageable(book);
        // Show print dialog to user.
        boolean doPrint = printerJob.printDialog();
        if (doPrint)
            try
                printerJob.print();
            catch (PrinterException e)
                JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null, "Unable to print + Error : "
                        + e);
            catch (NullPointerException e)
                JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null, "Unable to print + Error : "
                        + e);
public int print(Graphics g, PageFormat format, int pageIndex)
        // Java 2D
        Graphics2D g2d = (Graphics2D) g;
        // Move origin from the corner of paper to corner of imageable area
        g2d.translate(format.getImageableX(), format.getImageableY());
        // Perform rendering of text
        g.drawString("Entry : " + entry, 5, 10);
        // Set text colour
        g2d.setPaint(Color.BLACK);
    }

Answer 1

This is the current code I am trying to work out now. If I do get this done I will be trying to get it to print an array instead due to the nature of my project :)
import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.print.*;
import javax.swing.*;
import java.awt.event.*;
public class PrintingTest extends javax.swing.JFrame implements Printable{
    JPanel mainPanel = new JPanel();
    JTextField txtTest = new JTextField("Write something here :D");
    /** Creates new form PrintingTest */
    public PrintingTest() {
        displayPanel();
    public void displayPanel()
        JButton btnTest = new JButton("Test !");
        mainPanel.add(txtTest);
        mainPanel.add(btnTest);
        btnTest.addActionListener(new java.awt.event.ActionListener() {
            public void actionPerformed(java.awt.event.ActionEvent evt) {
                btnTestActionPerformed(evt);
        this.add(mainPanel);
        mainPanel.setSize(400,200);
        mainPanel.setBackground(Color.YELLOW);
    private void btnTestActionPerformed(java.awt.event.ActionEvent evt)
        // Get the rep of the current printer & print job
        PrinterJob printerJob = PrinterJob.getPrinterJob();
        // Page formating before printing
        PageFormat format = new PageFormat();
        format = printerJob.pageDialog(format);
        // Build a book containing pair of page painters (Printables)
        // and PageFormats. This example has a single page.
        Book book = new Book();
        book.append(new PrintingTest(), format);
        // Set the obj to be printed (book) into PrinterJob.
        printerJob.setPageable(book);
        // Show print dialog to user.
        boolean doPrint = printerJob.printDialog();
        if (doPrint)
            try
                printerJob.print();
            catch (PrinterException e)
                JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null, "Unable to print + Error : "
                        + e);
    public int print(Graphics g, PageFormat format, int pageIndex)
        String entry = txtTest.getText().trim();
        // Java 2D
        Graphics2D g2d = (Graphics2D) g;
        // Move origin from the corner of paper to corner of imageable area
        g2d.translate(format.getImageableX(), format.getImageableY());
        // Perform rendering of text
        g.drawString("What is going on ?" , 5, 10);
        g.drawString(entry , 5, 20);
        // Set text colour
        g2d.setPaint(Color.BLACK);
        return Printable.PAGE_EXISTS;
    public static void main(String args[]) {
        java.awt.EventQueue.invokeLater(new Runnable() {
            public void run() {
                new PrintingTest().setVisible(true);
}