How do I check ink levels on Windows?

Windows shows ink levels only through the printer maker’s software. HP uses HP Printer Assistant (Estimated Levels), Epson uses the Epson icon in the taskbar, Canon uses View Printer Status on the driver’s Maintenance tab, and Brother uses iPrint&Scan.

How do I check ink levels on a Mac?

For HP, open Printers & Scanners, select the printer, then Options & Supplies and the Supply Levels tab. Epson and Canon use their own printer utility, opened from the same place or installed with the driver.

Why does my printer say the ink is low when it still prints?

The level is an estimate. HP, Epson and Brother describe it as an estimate or approximate, Canon says a used cartridge’s level may not be correct, and HP says you can keep printing until quality drops or the printer asks for a new cartridge.

The ink level is fine but a color is missing. What now?

Print a nozzle check. Gaps with plenty of ink usually mean a blocked nozzle, which a print head cleaning may fix.

How to Check Printer Ink Levels: HP, Epson, Canon, Brother

Three places to look

Ink levels come from the printer, not from your computer. You can usually read them in one of three places:

The printer itself: a screen menu, an ink icon or a status light. On ink tank printers you can also look through the tank window.
The maker’s app: HP Smart, Brother iPrint&Scan and similar apps show levels next to the printer.
The driver on your computer: a status window from the printer maker, such as EPSON Status Monitor or Canon IJ Status Monitor.

Windows does not read ink levels on its own. What you see on a Windows PC comes from the printer maker’s software, so install the maker’s full driver package if you cannot find levels. Menus differ between models, so use the steps below as a guide and the maker’s page for your exact printer.

HP

HP’s support page lists these routes:

On the printer: many models show levels on the control panel. Look for an ink drop or cartridge icon, or an Ink Levels menu.
In the HP app: open the HP app on a computer, phone or tablet and read the estimated supply levels next to the printer image. It can take a few minutes to appear.
On Windows: search for your printer name, open HP Printer Assistant and choose Estimated Levels in the top menu.
On a Mac: open Printers & Scanners, select the printer, click Options & Supplies and open the Supply Levels tab.
Ink Tank and Smart Tank printers: check the ink in each tank window and keep it between the minimum and maximum lines.

Epson

On Windows: double-click the Epson printer icon in the taskbar. On cartridge models, choose Details if it appears. A window shows the level of each cartridge or tank.
On a Mac (EcoTank guides): open Printers & Scanners, select the printer, click Options & Supplies, then Utility, then Open Printer Utility, then EPSON Status Monitor. Click Update to refresh.
EcoTank printers: Epson says to also check the tanks by eye and not to let ink fall below the lower line, because that can damage the printer.

Epson’s guides add that the status window is not accurate if a cartridge is broken, incompatible or not seated correctly.

Canon

On printers with a screen: menus differ by model. On the imagePROGRAF PRO-200, select the ink status area on the HOME screen. An older Canon page gives HOME, then Setup, then Display remaining ink level. A symbol marks ink that is low or has run out.
On Windows: open the printer driver, go to the Maintenance tab and choose View Printer Status. Canon IJ Status Monitor opens and shows each ink. When you get a low ink notice, a mark appears above that ink’s icon.
On a Mac: open Canon IJ Printer Utility and choose Ink Level Information from the menu. Click Update to refresh, and Ink Details for more information.
Ink tank models with lamps: Canon says a lamp that flashes slowly means the ink is low, and a lamp that flashes quickly means the tank is in the wrong position or the ink has run out.

Brother

On the printer: press Ink, choose Ink Volume and press OK. On touchscreen models, tap Ink, then Ink Volume. The screen shows each cartridge and a page gauge.
In Brother iPrint&Scan: open the app on Windows or a Mac and select your machine. Low ink and replace cartridge icons appear next to the printer.

Brother says the remaining ink amount and the page gauge are approximate, not the real yield.

Why the level is only an estimate

HP, Epson and Brother describe the number as an estimate, and Canon’s PRO-200 manual says the levels on the printer’s screen are estimates. HP says its estimates are less accurate with refilled, remanufactured or used cartridges, on ink tank printers, and after a full reset. HP also says its low-ink alerts are meant for planning, and that you can keep printing until quality becomes unacceptable or the printer asks you to replace the cartridge. Epson says the level shown may differ from the ink actually left. Canon says the level of a used cartridge may not be correct, and to treat it only as a guide. So a printer can warn about low ink while the cartridge still prints, and it can show ink when a nozzle is blocked.

HP adds that ink can run out sooner than expected because of dense pages, infrequent printing (the printer uses ink to service itself) and initial setup, which fills the system from the first cartridges.

Check the print, not just the number

If a color is faint or missing, the level alone will not tell you why. Print a nozzle check and look at each ink. Gaps or faded lines with plenty of ink usually point to a blocked nozzle, which cleaning the print head may fix. Canon notes that its nozzle check pattern will not print correctly when the ink is low, so replace a low cartridge or refill a low tank first. Our guide to reading a nozzle check explains what good and bad patterns look like, the inkjet printer test page lists the other sheets to print, and the ink cost calculator helps you compare cartridges.

Sources checked: HP, check ink or toner levels and ink alert or low on ink. Epson, ET-4550 Windows, WF-3720 Windows and EcoTank Mac. Canon, checking the ink status, remaining ink on the display, used cartridges and nozzle check, and imagePROGRAF PRO-200, ink status on the screen. Brother, Ink Volume (MFC-J4335DW) and iPrint&Scan status. We could not open HP’s pages directly, so the HP details were checked against the text HP shows for them in search results. Last checked 2026-10-06.

How to check printer ink levels (HP, Epson, Canon, Brother)