How To Center Labels in Panels

[SoloMonk]

I am trying to figure out how to center the labels labeled blackSection, blueSection and so on. However i am unable to get the labels to center. I have tried blackSection.setVerticalAlignment(JLabel.CENTER) also have tried blackSection.setVerticalTextProperty(JLabel.CENTER). Any help would be appreciated, it is however a homework assignment so hints as to what to do would be preferred as opposed to just an answer.

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

public class Rainbows extends JFrame
{
   private JPanel blackPanel;
   private JPanel bluePanel;
   private JPanel cyanPanel;
   private JPanel greenPanel;
   private JPanel magentaPanel;
   private JPanel orangePanel;
   private JLabel blackSection;
   private JLabel blueSection;
   private JLabel cyanSection;
   private JLabel greenSection;
   private JLabel magentaSection;
   private JLabel orangeSection;
   private final int winWidth = 400;
   private final int winHeight = 400;

   public Rainbows()
   {
      // Sets the title for the window.
      setTitle("Rainbows and Butterflies");

      // Sets the size of the window.
      setSize(winWidth, winHeight);

      // Sets what happens when the close button is clicked.
      setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);

      // Adds a GridLayout manager to the JFrame
      setLayout(new GridLayout(2, 3));

      // Calls 
      buildPanel();

      // Adds the panels to the JFrame.
      add(blackPanel);
      add(bluePanel);
      add(cyanPanel);
      add(greenPanel);
      add(magentaPanel);
      add(orangePanel);

      // Packs ths window so that all panels will be displayed.
      pack();

      // Displays the window to the user.
      setVisible(true);
   }

   private void buildPanel()
   {
      // Creates the six JPanel objects.
      blackPanel = new JPanel();
      bluePanel = new JPanel();
      cyanPanel = new JPanel();
      greenPanel = new JPanel();
      magentaPanel = new JPanel();
      orangePanel = new JPanel();

      // Creates the six JLabel objects.
      blackSection = new JLabel("Black");
      blueSection = new JLabel("Blue");
      cyanSection = new JLabel("Cyan");
      greenSection = new JLabel("Green");
      magentaSection = new JLabel("Magenta");
      orangeSection = new JLabel("Orange");

      // Creates a line border around each panel.
      blackPanel.setBorder(BorderFactory.createLineBorder(Color.YELLOW,2));
      bluePanel.setBorder(BorderFactory.createLineBorder(Color.YELLOW,2));
      cyanPanel.setBorder(BorderFactory.createLineBorder(Color.YELLOW,2));
      greenPanel.setBorder(BorderFactory.createLineBorder(Color.YELLOW,2));
      magentaPanel.setBorder(BorderFactory.createLineBorder(Color.YELLOW,2));
      orangePanel.setBorder(BorderFactory.createLineBorder(Color.YELLOW,2));

      // Sets the font of each label.
      blackSection.setFont(new Font("Times Roman", Font.BOLD, 30));
      blueSection.setFont(new Font("Times Roman", Font.BOLD, 30));
      cyanSection.setFont(new Font("Times Roman", Font.BOLD, 30));
      greenSection.setFont(new Font("Times Roman", Font.BOLD, 30));
      magentaSection.setFont(new Font("Times Roman", Font.BOLD, 30));
      orangeSection.setFont(new Font("Times Roman", Font.BOLD, 30));

      // Sets the tool tip for each label.
      blackSection.setToolTipText("Black");
      blueSection.setToolTipText("Blue");
      cyanSection.setToolTipText("Cyan");
      greenSection.setToolTipText("Green");
      magentaSection.setToolTipText("Magenta");
      orangeSection.setToolTipText("Orange");

      // Sets the forground color for each label.
      blackSection.setForeground(Color.BLACK);
      blueSection.setForeground(Color.BLUE);
      cyanSection.setForeground(Color.CYAN);
      greenSection.setForeground(Color.GREEN);
      magentaSection.setForeground(Color.MAGENTA);
      orangeSection.setForeground(Color.ORANGE);

      // Sets the background color for each label.
      blackPanel.setBackground(Color.WHITE);
      bluePanel.setBackground(Color.WHITE);
      cyanPanel.setBackground(Color.WHITE);
      greenPanel.setBackground(Color.WHITE);
      magentaPanel.setBackground(Color.WHITE);
      orangePanel.setBackground(Color.WHITE);

      // Adds the labels to there specific panel.
      blackPanel.add(blackSection);
      bluePanel.add(blueSection);
      cyanPanel.add(cyanSection);
      greenPanel.add(greenSection);
      magentaPanel.add(magentaSection);
      orangePanel.add(orangeSection);

   }

   public static void main(String[] args)
   {
      // Calls ThreeCards constructor.
      new Rainbows();
   }
}

[JamesCherrill]

Centering things is a responsiblility of the layout manager. Have a look at this and chose a layout manager that handles sizing & centering the way you want.
Note also the the frame has a layout manager that positions the panels, but the panels have their own layout managers (not necessarily the same) that layout the labels etc in the panels.

[SoloMonk]

Thank you for clearing that up i was trying to figure out how to use the borderlayout to center it and i think i have figured it out. It seems i had to intiate a new instance of border layout when i created the pane SO it looks like this now:

// Creates the six JPanel objects.
blackPanel = new JPanel(new BorderLayout());
bluePanel = new JPanel(new BorderLayout());
cyanPanel = new JPanel(new BorderLayout());
greenPanel = new JPanel(new BorderLayout());
magentaPanel = new JPanel(new BorderLayout());
orangePanel = new JPanel(new BorderLayout());

// Centers the labels
blackSection.setHorizontalAlignment(JLabel.CENTER);
blueSection.setHorizontalAlignment(JLabel.CENTER);
cyanSection.setHorizontalAlignment(JLabel.CENTER);
greenSection.setHorizontalAlignment(JLabel.CENTER);
magentaSection.setHorizontalAlignment(JLabel.CENTER);
orangeSection.setHorizontalAlignment(JLabel.CENTER);

Thank you for your link again it helped to clear some things up.