If you want to know how to view print history in Windows 10 or 11, there is one important limitation to understand first: Windows does not keep a permanent record of everything you send to your printer by default. The print queue normally shows pending jobs, and they disappear from the list once printing is complete.
To keep a record, you can configure Windows to retain completed jobs in the print queue or enable print logging in Event Viewer. For more detailed tracking, you can also use a tool such as PaperCut Print Logger.
Important: If these options were not enabled beforehand, Windows normally cannot recover a complete history of documents that were already printed.
Method 1: Keep Printed Documents in the Print Queue
The simplest option is to configure Windows to keep completed print jobs in the queue after they have been printed. This is useful if you only want to see recent print history without setting up a more advanced logging system.
Windows 11
- Press Windows + I and go to Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners.
- Select the printer you want to configure.
- Open Printer properties.
- Select the Advanced tab.
- Enable Keep printed documents.
- Click Apply > OK.
Windows 10
Go to: Settings > Devices > Printers & scanners
Select your printer, click Manage, and open Printer properties. Then select the Advanced tab, enable Keep printed documents, and save the changes.
How to View the Saved Print Jobs
Open the printer again and select Open print queue. Jobs completed after you enabled this option can remain in the list instead of disappearing when printing finishes.
This makes the print queue in Windows 11 or 10 useful for checking recent jobs, but it is not the best option for keeping a long-term history. Retained print jobs can accumulate and use disk space, so remove them when you no longer need them.
If a document gets stuck and cannot be canceled, see how to clear the print queue in Windows.
Method 2: Save Print History with Event Viewer
If you want to know how to view print history with Windows built-in tools, you can enable the PrintService log in Event Viewer for a more detailed record of future print jobs.
This method does not save a copy of the document itself, but it can record information about each print job, including the document name, user, printer, date and time, job size, and number of pages.
1. Type Event Viewer in the Start menu and open the matching result.
2. In the left pane, go to: Applications and Services Logs > Microsoft > Windows > PrintService
3. In the center pane, right-click Operational and select Properties.
4. In Log Properties – Operational, enable Enable logging.
You can also specify the maximum log size and choose what Windows should do when the log reaches that limit.
5. Click Apply, and then OK.
Windows will begin recording print events from that point forward. Enabling the log now will not recover jobs that were printed before it was turned on.
How to See Printed Documents
After printing a few documents, return to:
Applications and Services Logs > Microsoft > Windows > PrintService
Double-click Operational to view the events recorded since you enabled the log.
To find completed print jobs more easily:
- Select Filter Current Log in the right pane.
- Enter 307 in the event ID field.
- Click OK.
Event ID 307 corresponds to completed print jobs and can include information such as:
- document name;
- user who printed it;
- source computer;
- printer and port;
- print job size;
- number of pages.
Microsoft documents these fields for PrintService Event ID 307.
How much print history remains available depends on the log size and retention settings. Once the configured limit is reached, Windows may overwrite older events depending on the selected retention policy.
Method 3: Track Print History with PaperCut Print Logger
If you need to check print activity frequently or want a history that is easier to review, you can use PaperCut Print Logger. It is a free print logging tool for Windows designed specifically to track printing activity. It can record details such as:
- print date and time;
- user;
- document name;
- number of pages;
- paper size;
- color or grayscale printing.
Download and install PaperCut Print Logger from its official website. Once installed, it begins recording new print jobs in the background.
The tool provides a browser-based interface for reviewing print activity and stores logs in formats that can be opened in Excel.
Like the Windows methods above, PaperCut cannot reconstruct print jobs completed before it was installed.
If you use it on a shared computer, keep in mind that the log may contain document names and usernames.
Conclusion
The best way to decide how to view print history depends on how much detail you need. Enable Keep printed documents to keep recent jobs in the print queue, or use Event Viewer and the PrintService > Operational log when you need a more detailed record with Windows built-in tools.
PaperCut Print Logger is a better fit for continuous tracking and easier review. Whichever method you choose, remember that it must be configured before the print jobs you want to track are completed.
