Setting background color for a JFrame

Just how do you set the background color for a JFrame?

Retrieve the content pane for the frame and use the setBackground() method inherited from Component to change the color.

Example:

myJFrame.getContentPane().setBackground( desiredColor );

To set the background color for JFrame:

getContentPane().setBackground(Color.YELLOW);  //Whatever color

using:

setBackground(Color.red);

doesn't work properly.

use

Container c = JFrame.getContentPane();

c.setBackground(Color.red);

or

myJFrame.getContentPane().setBackground( Color.red );

To set the background color for the JFrame try this:

this.getContentPane().setBackground(Color.white);

This is the simplest and the correct method. All you have to do is to add this code after initComponents();

getContentPane().setBackground(new java.awt.Color(204, 166, 166));

That is an example RGB color, you can replace that with your desired color. If you dont know the codes of RGB colors, please search on internet... there are a lot of sites that provide custom colors like this.

Hello There I did have the same problem and after many attempts I found that the problem is that you need a Graphics Object to be able to draw, paint(setBackgroundColor).

My code usually goes like this:

import javax.swing.*;
import java.awt.*;


public class DrawGraphics extends JFrame{

    public DrawGraphics(String title) throws HeadlessException {
      super(title);
      InitialElements();
    }

    private void InitialElements(){
      setSize(300, 250);
      setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
      setVisible(true);
      // This one does not work
      // getContentPane().setBackground(new Color(70, 80, 70));

    }

    public void paint(Graphics draw){
      //Here you can perform any drawing like an oval...
      draw.fillOval(40, 40, 60, 50);
      
      getContentPane().setBackground(new Color(70,80,70));
    }
}

The missing part on almost all other answers is where to place the code. Then now you know it goes in paint(Graphics G)

You can use a container like so:

Container c = JFrame.getContentPane();
c.setBackground(Color.red); 

You must of course import java.awt.Color for the red color constant.

Here's another method:

private void RenkMouseClicked(java.awt.event.MouseEvent evt) {
	renk = JColorChooser.showDialog(null, "Select the background color",
			renk);
	Container a = this.getContentPane();
	a.setBackground(renk);
}

I'm using netbeans ide. For me, JFrame.getContentPane() didn't run. I used JFrame.getContentPane()'s class equivalent this.getContentPane.

I had trouble with changing the JFrame background as well and the above responses did not solve it entirely. I am using Eclipse. Adding a layout fixed the issue.

public class SampleProgram extends JFrame {
	public SampleProgram() {
		setSize(400,400);
		setTitle("Sample");
		getContentPane().setLayout(new FlowLayout());//specify a layout manager
		getContentPane().setBackground(Color.red);
        setVisible(true);
}

you can override the paint method of JFrame and then fill that by your favorite color like this:

@Override
public void paint(Graphics g) {
    g.setColor(Color.red);
    g.fillRect(0, 0, this.getWidth(), this.getHeight());
}

You can use this code block for JFrame background color.

    JFrame frame = new JFrame("Frame BG color");
	frame.setLayout(null);
	
	frame.setSize(1000, 650);
	frame.getContentPane().setBackground(new Color(5, 65, 90));
	frame.setLocationRelativeTo(null);
	frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
	frame.setResizable(false);
	frame.setVisible(true);

public nameOfTheClass()  {

final Container c = this.getContentPane();

  public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
    c.setBackground(Color.white); 
  }
}

Resurrecting a thread from stasis.

In 2018 this solution works for Swing/JFrame in NetBeans (should work in any IDE :):

this.getContentPane().setBackground(Color.GREEN);

import java.awt.*;
import javax.swing.*;

public class MySimpleLayout extends JFrame {

	    private Container c;
	    public MySimpleLayout(String str) {
		    super(str);
		    c=getContentPane();
		    c.setLayout(null);
		    c.setBackground(Color.WHITE);
	    }
}

Probably the SIMPLEST method is this:

super.setBackground(Color.CYAN);

You must extend JFrame in the class before doing this!