How To Check Printer Ink Levels On HP, Canon, Epson, Brother

Checking ink levels are essential for flawless printing since the empty cartridge will print uneven lines on the documents. Although there are multiple ways allow us to check the toner or ink levels with ease including checking via smart apps, from the printer’s LED display, using the control panel, and even via a smartphone or an alert might pop up: ink is running low.

So today, we’ll learn how to check printer ink levels on HP, Epson, Canon, and Brother printers on Windows 10, 11, or Mac. Let me tell you if you get an inkjet printer then you can determine the ink levels from the ink tanks with ease. Check the comparison of ink cartridges vs ink tanks.

how to check printer ink levels on HP, Canon, Epson, Brother

Table of Contents

How to Check Printer Ink Levels (HP, Epson, Canon, Brother)

We’ve compiled a detailed guide on checking several printer ink levels with images and when the ink is running out, replacing the toner or cartridges is essential.

How To Check Ink Levels On Hp Printer

Before getting started, ensure that your printer is connected to your laptop or computer on which you want to check the ink levels. You can connect with wifi or a USB connection and install the drivers.

1. Go to the start menu of your computer in the bottom left corner. And click on the control panel.

2. After going into the control panel, select the devices and printers under the hardware and sound as shown in the image.

3. If you’ve connected your printer to the computer and installed the drivers then after going into the device and printers, you’ll find the connected printer there. I’ve connected HP Deskjet 2130.

4. Go into the selected printer, go to the “HP printer assistant” and wait for a couple of seconds. A menu will pop and you will get several options. You’ll see the option “estimated ink levels”. Open it and wait for a couple of seconds.

And here are the ink levels!

Method 2: Another method is using the HP smart app available for windows. You can download it and check the ink levels simply on the home screen.

Here are the simple steps:

Download the HP smart App
Open the app
Click the home icon on the left side
Open the home and the ink levels will be visible there

Method 3: if you own a high-end printer then your printer will have a navigation panel and a smart LCD display. I’ve got HP 8710 and here are the steps.

Open the home screen
The menu will be visible
Flip down the upper menu
Click on the option like ink droplet
And the ink levels will be visible

**How To Check Ink Levels On Hp Printer Using LCD**

You can also check how to print white ink on black paper using an HP printer.

How To Check Brother Printer Ink Levels

I’ve got the brother monochrome laser printer to check the toner level. Though monochrome printers will have only a single cartridge which is BK only. Even you might get the alert of replacing the cartridge on the monochrome display of the screen. It means you need to replace the cartridge.

Using LCD navigation

Go to the menu on the printer
Scroll down to the machine info and press the ok button
Now scroll more to reach the “parts life” option and press it ok
The toner life option will be visible
Press ok and you’ll get the small boxes empty indicating the toner level is low.

Additionally, there are also multiple ways to check the toner or ink levels on the brother printer. For example, the Brother smart app also indicates the cartridge levels.

Simply download the Brother print app and connect your printer to the laptop or PC on which you’ve installed the app. Open the app > select the printer you’ve connected > go to the ink & supply and check the levels easily.

But what if your brother’s printer is cheap and doesn’t support that app? Here is another alternative. Get printers under $100 which also support smart apps.

How To Check Brother Ink Levels

Connect your printer with your laptop but ensure that your printer and laptop should be connected to the same network.
Go to the printer and scanners > go to options & supplies > go to the supply level.
And the toner level will be visible although you can click on more info to get additional information for your printer.

How To Check Printer Ink Levels Canon In Windows 10

Checking in levels on canon printer is also straightforward as the above methods. Either you can connect the smart Canon print app with your gadgets or you can check from your laptop too. Another method is using the LCD display of the canon printer.

Here are the simple steps you can check from your printer in Windows 10.

Go to the printer driver windows setup
Go to the start menu on the bottom left of the screen
Go to settings > devices
After that, select the printer model that you’ve connected
Select the printer, click on the right button, & go to the printing preference of the printer
Jump to the maintenance tab
Check the printer status
You’ll get the option “Estimated Ink Levels”. Click on it and check the ink levels.

How To Check Printer Ink Levels Epson Windows 10

Epson printers also allow us to determine the ink levels with ease using Epson’s iPrint App, using your computer or LCD display. Before checking ink levels on your computer, make sure you’ve installed the drivers from the CD or downloaded them from Epson’s website.

After installing the drivers, you’ll get the icon of that specific printer on your home screen.
Open the icon of your printer by double-clicking it
Go to the maintenance tab of the printer
In the maintenance tab, you’ll see the “Epson Status Monitor 3”
After clicking on the Epson Status Monitor 3, the ink levels can be seen on the display.

**How To Check Printer Ink Levels Epson Windows 10**

You can check Epson ink levels on Windows 10. Although, Windows 11 method and Mac can be different which are also mentioned below.

How To Check Printer Ink Levels Windows 11

Regardless of your operating system, you can use digital brand print apps to determine the ink level. Like HP’s smart app, Brother’s smart app, Epson’s iPrint app, and Canon’s print app too. But not all printers support these apps. Their alternative is to use your computer or laptop to display the ink levels. However, using the LCD display of the printer is also a handy way to check.

Search the model of your printer in the search bar of your printer
When you find the printer, click on it.
Open the printer preference and click on the check estimated ink levels.

This is one of the quickest ways to check the ink levels on Windows 11. You can utilize this way on any of the brand printers whether it is Epson, Brother, Canon, or HP.

How To Check Printer Ink Levels On Mac

The method of checking toner or ink levels on Mac is also very simple with a couple of steps. I’m using my default system of the Mac because I’m not utilizing any type of smart app or LCD display.

Connect your printer and Mac on the same network
Go to the option system preferences on your screen on the Mac
Go down and click on the option Print & Scan on the right side in the second row
Click on the Options & Supplies
And there you’ll see the Supply Levels
Wait for a while, the ink levels will be on the screen.

**How To Check Printer Ink Levels On Mac**

Whether you’re using Epson, HP, Brother, or Canon, the above is applied to all types of printers even if you get a printer under $200. Further, if you may know how many pages does an ink cartridge print?

Conclusion

So the guide will help you the most to check the ink or toner levels. I hope you’ve learned now how to check the level of cartridges and get them replaced if needed. There is no single way to check but you can utilize multiple ways according to your convenience. But the easiest way to check is using your computer or laptop when they’re connected to the same network.

How To Check Printer Ink Levels On HP, Canon, Epson, Brother