macOS: How to Check a Printer’s Supply Levels

Apple Printer Icon
Apple's Printer Icon

If your printer is far away from your Mac and you’re curious about its supply levels, you don’t actually have to get up and walk over to it to check things out. I mean, you CAN if you want (or if you need the exercise like I do), but if you’d prefer, you can look at that info from your Mac instead. To do so, start by clicking on the Apple Menu at the upper-left corner of your screen and choosing “System Preferences.”

System Preferences Option from the Apple menu on the Mac

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Once System Preferences launches, click on “Printers & Scanners.”

Printers & Scanners Preferences on the Mac

If you select one of your printers from the left-hand list, you can then click the “Options & Supplies” button.

"Options & Supplies" Choice in Printers & Scanners settings on the Mac

Under that will be a “Supply Levels” tab, which’ll show you the approximate ink or toner amounts remaining, assuming your printer is turned on and available on your network.

Supply Levels Options in Printers & Scanners setting on the Mac

I feel like most of us won’t be using printers in the next ten years or so—I myself ran out of ink for a few months in mine before I bothered to replace it—but in the meantime, the devices are still a necessary evil. As someone who has to troubleshoot the darned things, though, I think the emphasis there is on the “evil” part!

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  1. Kathy Park 10 months ago

    If my supply levels aren’t giving me any information, is there another way to check the amount of ink in my laser jet toner cartridge? Thanks.

    Reply
  2. Lee Dronick Subscriber 8 years ago

    Thanks!

    Reply