correct way is only to change Look and Feel, nice example from Old.Java.Forums.Sun
import java.awt.BorderLayout;
import javax.swing.JFrame;
import javax.swing.JPanel;
import javax.swing.JTabbedPane;
import javax.swing.JTextArea;
public class TabbedPane extends JPanel {
private static final long serialVersionUID = 1L;
public TabbedPane() {
setLayout(new BorderLayout());
JPanel jp = new JPanel();
jp.setLayout(new BorderLayout());
JTabbedPane tb = new JTabbedPane();
tb.setUI(new CustomTabbedPaneUI());
tb.add("Tab1", new JTextArea(""));
tb.add("Tab2", new JTextArea(""));
tb.add("Tab3", new JTextArea(""));
tb.add("Tab4", new JTextArea(""));
tb.add("Tab5", new JTextArea(""));
jp.add(tb, BorderLayout.CENTER);
add(jp, BorderLayout.CENTER);
tb.setEnabledAt(1, false);
tb.setEnabledAt(3, false);
}
public static void main(String[] args) {
JFrame frame = new JFrame();
frame.getContentPane().add(new TabbedPane());
frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
frame.setSize(500, 200);
frame.setVisible(true);
}
}
and
import java.util.*;
import java.awt.*;
import javax.swing.*;
import javax.swing.plaf.*;
import javax.swing.plaf.basic.*;
import javax.swing.text.View;
public class CustomTabbedPaneUI extends BasicTabbedPaneUI {
private Color selectColor;
private Color deSelectColor;
private int inclTab = 4;
private int anchoFocoV = inclTab;
private int anchoFocoH = 4;
private int anchoCarpetas = 18;
private Polygon shape;
public static ComponentUI createUI(JComponent c) {
return new CustomTabbedPaneUI();
}
@Override
protected void installDefaults() {
super.installDefaults();
selectColor = new Color(250, 192, 192);
deSelectColor = new Color(197, 193, 168);
tabAreaInsets.right = anchoCarpetas;
}
@Override
protected void paintTabArea(Graphics g, int tabPlacement, int selectedIndex) {
if (runCount > 1) {
int lines[] = new int[runCount];
for (int i = 0; i < runCount; i++) {
lines[i] = rects[tabRuns[i]].y + (tabPlacement == TOP ? maxTabHeight : 0);
}
Arrays.sort(lines);
if (tabPlacement == TOP) {
int fila = runCount;
for (int i = 0; i < lines.length - 1; i++, fila--) {
Polygon carp = new Polygon();
carp.addPoint(0, lines[i]);
carp.addPoint(tabPane.getWidth() - 2 * fila - 2, lines[i]);
carp.addPoint(tabPane.getWidth() - 2 * fila, lines[i] + 3);
if (i < lines.length - 2) {
carp.addPoint(tabPane.getWidth() - 2 * fila, lines[i + 1]);
carp.addPoint(0, lines[i + 1]);
} else {
carp.addPoint(tabPane.getWidth() - 2 * fila, lines[i] + rects[selectedIndex].height);
carp.addPoint(0, lines[i] + rects[selectedIndex].height);
}
carp.addPoint(0, lines[i]);
g.setColor(hazAlfa(fila));
g.fillPolygon(carp);
g.setColor(darkShadow.darker());
g.drawPolygon(carp);
}
} else {
int fila = 0;
for (int i = 0; i < lines.length - 1; i++, fila++) {
Polygon carp = new Polygon();
carp.addPoint(0, lines[i]);
carp.addPoint(tabPane.getWidth() - 2 * fila - 1, lines[i]);
carp.addPoint(tabPane.getWidth() - 2 * fila - 1, lines[i + 1] - 3);
carp.addPoint(tabPane.getWidth() - 2 * fila - 3, lines[i + 1]);
carp.addPoint(0, lines[i + 1]);
carp.addPoint(0, lines[i]);
g.setColor(hazAlfa(fila + 2));
g.fillPolygon(carp);
g.setColor(darkShadow.darker());
g.drawPolygon(carp);
}
}
}
super.paintTabArea(g, tabPlacement, selectedIndex);
}
@Override
protected void paintTabBackground(Graphics g, int tabPlacement, int tabIndex, int x, int y, int w, int h, boolean isSelected) {
Graphics2D g2D = (Graphics2D) g;
GradientPaint gradientShadow;
int xp[] = null; // Para la forma
int yp[] = null;
switch (tabPlacement) {
case LEFT:
xp = new int[]{x, x, x + w, x + w, x};
yp = new int[]{y, y + h - 3, y + h - 3, y, y};
gradientShadow = new GradientPaint(x, y, new Color(100, 100, 255), x, y + h, Color.ORANGE);
break;
case RIGHT:
xp = new int[]{x, x, x + w - 2, x + w - 2, x};
yp = new int[]{y, y + h - 3, y + h - 3, y, y};
gradientShadow = new GradientPaint(x, y, new Color(100, 100, 255), x, y + h, new Color(153, 186, 243));
break;
case BOTTOM:
xp = new int[]{x, x, x + 3, x + w - inclTab - 6, x + w - inclTab - 2, x + w - inclTab, x + w - 3, x};
yp = new int[]{y, y + h - 3, y + h, y + h, y + h - 1, y + h - 3, y, y};
gradientShadow = new GradientPaint(x, y, new Color(100, 100, 255), x, y + h, Color.BLUE);
break;
case TOP:
default:
xp = new int[]{x, x, x + 3, x + w - inclTab - 6, x + w - inclTab - 2, x + w - inclTab, x + w - inclTab, x};
yp = new int[]{y + h, y + 3, y, y, y + 1, y + 3, y + h, y + h};
gradientShadow = new GradientPaint(0, 0, Color.ORANGE, 0, y + h / 2, new Color(240, 255, 210));
break;
}
// ;
shape = new Polygon(xp, yp, xp.length);
if (isSelected) {
g2D.setColor(selectColor);
g2D.setPaint(gradientShadow);
} else {
if (tabPane.isEnabled() && tabPane.isEnabledAt(tabIndex)) {
g2D.setColor(deSelectColor);
GradientPaint gradientShadowTmp = new GradientPaint(0, 0, new Color(255, 255, 200), 0, y + h / 2, new Color(240, 255, 210));
g2D.setPaint(gradientShadowTmp);
} else {
GradientPaint gradientShadowTmp = new GradientPaint(0, 0, new Color(240, 255, 210), 0, y + 15 + h / 2, new Color(204, 204, 204));
g2D.setPaint(gradientShadowTmp);
}
}
//selectColor = new Color(255, 255, 200);
//deSelectColor = new Color(240, 255, 210);
g2D.fill(shape);
if (runCount > 1) {
g2D.setColor(hazAlfa(getRunForTab(tabPane.getTabCount(), tabIndex) - 1));
g2D.fill(shape);
}
g2D.fill(shape);
}
@Override
protected void paintText(Graphics g, int tabPlacement, Font font, FontMetrics metrics, int tabIndex, String title, Rectangle textRect, boolean isSelected) {
super.paintText(g, tabPlacement, font, metrics, tabIndex, title, textRect, isSelected);
g.setFont(font);
View v = getTextViewForTab(tabIndex);
if (v != null) {
// html
v.paint(g, textRect);
} else {
// plain text
int mnemIndex = tabPane.getDisplayedMnemonicIndexAt(tabIndex);
if (tabPane.isEnabled() && tabPane.isEnabledAt(tabIndex)) {
g.setColor(tabPane.getForegroundAt(tabIndex));
BasicGraphicsUtils.drawStringUnderlineCharAt(g, title, mnemIndex, textRect.x, textRect.y + metrics.getAscent());
} else { // tab disabled
g.setColor(Color.BLACK);
BasicGraphicsUtils.drawStringUnderlineCharAt(g, title, mnemIndex, textRect.x, textRect.y + metrics.getAscent());
g.setColor(tabPane.getBackgroundAt(tabIndex).darker());
BasicGraphicsUtils.drawStringUnderlineCharAt(g, title, mnemIndex, textRect.x - 1, textRect.y + metrics.getAscent() - 1);
}
}
}
/*protected void paintText(Graphics g, int tabPlacement, Font font, FontMetrics metrics, int tabIndex, String title, Rectangle textRect, boolean isSelected) {
g.setFont(font);
View v = getTextViewForTab(tabIndex);
if (v != null) {
// html
v.paint(g, textRect);
} else {
// plain text
int mnemIndex = tabPane.getDisplayedMnemonicIndexAt(tabIndex);
if (tabPane.isEnabled() && tabPane.isEnabledAt(tabIndex)) {
Color fg = tabPane.getForegroundAt(tabIndex);
if (isSelected && (fg instanceof UIResource)) {
Color selectedFG = UIManager.getColor("TabbedPane.selectedForeground");
if (selectedFG != null) {
fg = selectedFG;
}
}
g.setColor(fg);
SwingUtilities2.drawStringUnderlineCharAt(tabPane, g, title, mnemIndex, textRect.x, textRect.y + metrics.getAscent());
} else { // tab disabled
//PAY ATTENTION TO HERE
g.setColor(tabPane.getBackgroundAt(tabIndex).brighter());
SwingUtilities2.drawStringUnderlineCharAt(tabPane, g, title, mnemIndex, textRect.x, textRect.y + metrics.getAscent());
g.setColor(tabPane.getBackgroundAt(tabIndex).darker());
SwingUtilities2.drawStringUnderlineCharAt(tabPane, g, title, mnemIndex,
textRect.x - 1, textRect.y + metrics.getAscent() - 1);
}
}
}*/
@Override
protected int calculateTabWidth(int tabPlacement, int tabIndex, FontMetrics metrics) {
return 20 + inclTab + super.calculateTabWidth(tabPlacement, tabIndex, metrics);
}
@Override
protected int calculateTabHeight(int tabPlacement, int tabIndex, int fontHeight) {
if (tabPlacement == LEFT || tabPlacement == RIGHT) {
return super.calculateTabHeight(tabPlacement, tabIndex, fontHeight);
} else {
return anchoFocoH + super.calculateTabHeight(tabPlacement, tabIndex, fontHeight);
}
}
@Override
protected void paintTabBorder(Graphics g, int tabPlacement, int tabIndex, int x, int y, int w, int h, boolean isSelected) {
}
@Override
protected void paintFocusIndicator(Graphics g, int tabPlacement, Rectangle[] rects, int tabIndex, Rectangle iconRect, Rectangle textRect, boolean isSelected) {
if (tabPane.hasFocus() && isSelected) {
g.setColor(UIManager.getColor("ScrollBar.thumbShadow"));
g.drawPolygon(shape);
}
}
protected Color hazAlfa(int fila) {
int alfa = 0;
if (fila >= 0) {
alfa = 50 + (fila > 7 ? 70 : 10 * fila);
}
return new Color(0, 0, 0, alfa);
}
}