The "lpstat" command, used with no options, may return no output if there are no print jobs queued. It is generally better off to use an option with "lpstat".

lpstat -t

The "lpstat" command with the "-t" option gives you total information about the printer status. This option is generally the most useful, but the printout can be lengthy if you have a large number for printers configured.

lpstat -p Sales -l

This command provides a long list of information about the printer named "Sales".

lpstat -r

Show whether the print scheduler is on or off.

lpstat -u fred

Displays the print request status for a user named "fred".