GUI Widgets

How to use Tkinter widgets to create a GUI for a Python application.

Overview

Widgets are the building blocks of user interaction in Tkinter. Each widget has a class.

Basic Widgets:

1. Frame
2. Label
3. Button
4. Entry
5. Text

Preparatory:

Load the library:

import tkinter as tk

Load themed widgets:

from tkinter import ttk

Frame

Displays a rectangle. Contains child widgets.

myInterface = tk.Tk()
myInterface.title('User Interface')

myFrame = tk.Frame(myInterface)
otherFrame = tk.Frame(myInterface)

myFrame.pack()
otherFrame.pack()

The order in which the frames are packed is also the order in which they are displayed.

Label

Displays text and images. Options include font, background, foreground, etc.

backgroundImage = PhotoImage(file="the-background.png")

myBackground_Label = tk.Label(
    master=myFrame,
    image=backgroundImage,
    bg="#525561"
)
myBackground_Label.pack()

myHeader_Label = tk.Label(
    master=myBackground_Label,
    text="Caption",
    fg="#FFFFFF",
    font=("yu gothic ui bold", -20),
    bg = "#272A37"
)
myHeader_Label.pack()

Button

Contains text and performs actions when clicked.

myAction_Button = tk.Button(
    master=myBackground_Label,
    text="Activate", 
    foreground="#206DB4",
    font=("yu gothic ui bold", -13),
    background="#272A37",
    borderwidth=0,
    cursor="hand2",
    activebackground="#272A37",
    activeforeground="#FFFFFF",
    command=myInterface.destroy
)
myAction_Button.pack()

If the command is to execute a function with parameters then use command=lambda: aFunc(args). Otherwise use command=bFunc().

Enable or disable a button by updating its dictionary.

Set the disabled flag:

myAction_Button.state(['disabled'])

Clear the disabled flag:

myAction_Button.state(['!disabled'])

Entry

Data entry for a single line of text.

my_name = StringVar()

myName_Entry = Entry(
    master=myBackground,
    bd=0,
    bg="#3D404B",
    highlightthickness=0,
    font=("yu gothic ui semibold", -16),
    textvariable=my_name
)
myName_Entry.pack()

print(myName_Entry.get())

Use a grid layout to place textboxes beside their labels:

alpha_Label = ttk.Label(myInterface, text='First Name')
beta_Label = ttk.Label(myInterface, text='Last Name')

alpha_Entry = ttk.Entry(myInterface)
beta_Entry = ttk.Entry(myInterface)

alpha_Label.grid(row=0, column=0)
alpha_Entry.grid(row=0, column=1)
beta_Label.grid(row=1, column=0)
beta_Entry.grid(row=1, column=1)

Text

Data entry for multi-line text.

loremIpsum_Text = tk.Text(master=myFrame)
loremIpsum_Text.pack()

Insert:

Use the keyword END in the positional parameter to append a new line of text:

loremIpsum.insert(tk.END, "Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet,\nconsectetur adipiscing elit")

Further Reading

• G4G (4 Aug 2025). “Python Tkinter”, Geeks for Geeks.

• David Amos. “Python GUI Programming: Your Tkinter Tutorial”, Real Python.

• Python Tutorial. “Ttk Widgets”.

• Mark Roseman. “Basic Widgets”, tkdocs.

• Mark Roseman. “More Widgets”, tkdocs.

QED

© Adam Heinz

1 January 2026