Tutorial on how to print multiple output pages

Question

Hi,
I am rather sad that this forum does not provide a simple principle on how to printout multiple pages to newbie.
Below is a short contribution from me on how to print across multiple pages, other reader are also encourage to modify the code to provide more robust tutorial .
* How to use java to print across pages that are more than one
* Short contribution to java forum by Eric gan (Malaysia)
import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.geom.*;
import java.awt.print.*;
import java.awt.Graphics2D;
import java.awt.print.*;
import java.awt.print.Book;
import java.awt.print.Pageable;
import java.awt.Graphics2D;
import java.awt.Graphics;
public class Example implements Printable {
//--- Private instances declarations
private int row_cnt=30; // set the total number of row per page
private int cum_row_cnt=30; // set the counter to record total number of row per page to determine
// whether maximum pages should be increase depending on the programme requirement
private int max_pg=0; // set the maximum number of page
public Example () {
//--- Create a printerJob object
PrinterJob printJob = PrinterJob.getPrinterJob ();
     printJob.setPrintable(Example.this);
if (printJob.printDialog()) {
try {
printJob.print();
} catch (Exception PrintException) {
PrintException.printStackTrace();
public void paint (Graphics g) {
Graphics2D g2d;
g2d = (Graphics2D) g;     
int x=10;
int y=10;
for (int outline=0;outline<=160;outline+=20){
          if (y>cum_row_cnt){
          cum_row_cnt+=row_cnt;//counter should grow by value equal to row_cnt
     max_pg++;
     g2d.drawString("outline value ---> " +outline , x, y);
     y+=10; // to set the row printing interval      
} // end of paint procedure
     public int print(Graphics g,
PageFormat pf, int pi)
          throws PrinterException {
// normal routine to check when should java stop the print looping
if (pi >max_pg) {
return Printable.NO_SUCH_PAGE;
Graphics2D g2 = (Graphics2D) g;
     int fontHeight=g2.getFontMetrics().getHeight();
     int fontDesent=g2.getFontMetrics().getDescent();
     double pageHeight = pf.getImageableHeight()-fontHeight;
     double pageWidth = pf.getImageableWidth();
     // setting for the translate and graphics clipping to enable printing on output pages
// row_cnt can be equal to pageHeight
// in this examples assumming pageHeight=20 rows           
     g2.translate(pf.getImageableX(), pf.getImageableY());
g2.translate(0f,-pi*row_cnt);
g2.setClip(0, (int)(row_cnt* pi),
(int) Math.ceil(pageWidth),
(int) Math.ceil(row_cnt));
paint(g2);
return Printable.PAGE_EXISTS;
public static void main (String [] args) {
Example example = new Example ();
System.exit (0);
Thank

Answer 1

Hello
I know that Pages is using its own algorithm to resize pages when it put several of them on a single sheet.
This is why I use this tip.
I draw a rectangle whose size is supposed to be the final one.
I give it a white background and a black border whose thickness is set to one point.
For the tests I just insert three page breaks so that the document is a four pages one.
I print it as is.
Doing that, I may measure the printed rectangle.
Of course, at first attempt it doesn't match the required size.
It's easy to compute the required adjustments.
When the correct factor is reached, it is easy to build the complete document so that it prints the correct size.
Doing that I never got odd results but maybe it's because I am a lucky guy.
Of course, disagreeing with one advice doesn't mean that I don't respect it.
I respect your opinion, _on other matters too_
Yvan KOENIG (from FRANCE mardi 6 mai 2008 17:24:09)