How to Check Printer Error Logs in macOS 13

Troubleshooting printing problems on macOS 13 Ventura often requires inspecting background system logs to identify why a job failed, stalled, or disconnected. This guide explains how to locate and read printer error logs on your Mac using the built-in Console application and Terminal commands to access CUPS (Common Unix Printing System) logs.

Method 1: Using the Console App

The Console app is the primary graphical tool for viewing real-time system and application logs in macOS 13.

  1. Press Command + Space to open Spotlight, type Console, and press Return.
  2. In the Console window, select your Mac under the Devices section in the left sidebar.
  3. Click the Start (or Start Streaming) button in the toolbar to begin monitoring live logs.
  4. In the search bar at the top right, filter the log stream by typing one of the following terms and pressing Return:
    • cups (the underlying print architecture)
    • cupsd (the main print daemon)
    • printtool
    • The specific brand or model name of your printer
  5. Attempt to send a print job from your Mac.
  6. Look for entries tagged with yellow (warnings) or red (errors) dots to view specific error messages, driver crashes, or communication timeouts.

To check for printer software crashes:

  1. In the Console sidebar, look under the Reports section.
  2. Click Crash Reports or Diagnostic Reports.
  3. Look for files named after your printer vendor (such as HP, Canon, or Epson) or processes named cupsd to see detailed stack traces of driver failures.

Method 2: Inspecting CUPS Logs via Terminal

macOS relies on CUPS to handle print jobs. The system records dedicated print errors to specific log files accessible via the Terminal.

  1. Open Terminal from Applications > Utilities or via Spotlight.

  2. View the standard error log by entering:

    cat /var/log/cups/error_log

  3. To view new errors live while attempting to print, enter:

    tail -f /var/log/cups/error_log

    Press Control + C when you want to stop live viewing.

Enabling Detailed Debug Logging

If the standard error_log does not show enough detail, turn on CUPS debug logging:

  1. In Terminal, run:

    cupsctl --debug-logging

  2. Send your print job again to reproduce the issue.

  3. Check /var/log/cups/error_log again. The file will now contain verbose step-by-step diagnostic information.

  4. Once you have finished diagnosing the problem, turn off debug logging to save disk space:

    cupsctl --no-debug-logging

Method 3: Using the CUPS Web Interface

macOS includes a local web interface for CUPS that displays job histories and detailed error states.

  1. Open Terminal and enable the web interface by running:

    cupsctl WebInterface=yes

  2. Open Safari or any web browser and navigate to:

    http://localhost:631

  3. Click on the Jobs tab to view completed, active, or stopped print jobs.

  4. Click on the Error link next to any failed print job to view the specific reason for failure returned by the print queue.