Sending a JPanel to the printer...

Question

All,
I wasn't sure if this was the appropriate forum for this, but I couldn't find one specific to printint to a printer.
I'm trying to send a JPanel to a printer.
I have the following routine which seems to more or less work, but exhibits a few problems. I've gotten most of the code off a website.
public class PrintUtilities implements Printable {
  private Component componentToBePrinted;
  public static void printComponent(Component c) {
    new PrintUtilities(c).print();
  public PrintUtilities(Component componentToBePrinted) {
    this.componentToBePrinted = componentToBePrinted;
  public void print() {
    PrinterJob printJob = PrinterJob.getPrinterJob();
    printJob.setPrintable(this);
    if (printJob.printDialog())
      try {
        printJob.print();
      } catch(PrinterException pe) {
        System.out.println("Error printing: " + pe);
  public int print(Graphics g, PageFormat pageFormat, int pageIndex) {
    if (pageIndex > 0) {
      return(NO_SUCH_PAGE);
    } else {
      Graphics2D g2d = (Graphics2D)g;
      g2d.translate(pageFormat.getImageableX(), pageFormat.getImageableY());
      disableDoubleBuffering(componentToBePrinted);
          // scale to fill the page       
          double dw = pageFormat.getImageableWidth();
          double dh = pageFormat.getImageableHeight();
          Dimension screenSize = Toolkit.getDefaultToolkit().getScreenSize();
          double xScale = dw / screenSize.width;
          double yScale = dh / screenSize.height;
          double scale = Math.min(xScale,yScale);
          // center the chart on the page
          double tx = 0.0;
          double ty = 0.0;
          if (xScale > scale)
              tx = 0.5*(xScale-scale)*screenSize.width;
          else
              ty = 0.5*(yScale-scale)*screenSize.height;
          g2d.translate(tx, ty);
          g2d.scale(scale, scale);
          componentToBePrinted.paint(g2d);
          enableDoubleBuffering(componentToBePrinted);
          return Printable.PAGE_EXISTS;
  /** The speed and quality of printing suffers dramatically if
   *  any of the containers have double buffering turned on.
   *  So this turns if off globally.
   *  @see enableDoubleBuffering
  public static void disableDoubleBuffering(Component c) {
    RepaintManager currentManager = RepaintManager.currentManager(c);
    currentManager.setDoubleBufferingEnabled(false);
  /** Re-enables double buffering globally. */
  public static void enableDoubleBuffering(Component c) {
    RepaintManager currentManager = RepaintManager.currentManager(c);
    currentManager.setDoubleBufferingEnabled(true);
}Now I get things to print by calling the printComponent method and passing in my JPanel. No problem, the scaling and all works.
However, whether I scale things to fit the page, or remove that code, I get some strange behavior.
The JPanel has a few JLabels scattered about in a GridBagLayoutt, in three general columns.
However, I've noticed that some of the items in each column get truncated and have "..." tacked onto the end. But it doesn't do this to just the longest items, it also does it to shorter items, even if a longer one in the same column was NOT truncated in this manner.
So, what I'll have in one column is something like:
A long line that's been truncated...
a short line, no problem
a short line truncated...
longer than above, not truncated
On screen, it's normal. Printed out, those weird truncations occur.
Why is this happening? There's plenty of room, and each of the lines that are getting truncated could easily be 1-1/2 times their length without the danger of bumping into the next column.
Is there any way to for me to force it to print the entire line?
Thanks!

Answer 1

ADDENDUM: Another problem I'd like to solve is that, the JPanel is gray with black text. I'm fine with that onscreen, but when it prints out, it prints a gray rectangle for the panel, with black text on it. Is there any way I can have this not print out the background as well (ie: treat background as white and only print the text that's on the JPanel?)