A user interface of a printer displays instructions to use the printer's document scanner for scanning a sheet of print media (of a stack of print media being added to the paper drawer) in response to a drawer sensor detecting the opening of the paper drawer. The document scanner generates an electronic image of the sheet of print media from the scanning of the sheet of print media. The processor evaluates the electronic image of the sheet of print media to identify the media type and color of the stack of print media being added to the paper drawer. For example, this is done by evaluating the size, color characteristic, transparency, and reflection characteristic of the electronic image of the sheet of print media. Then, the electronic memory records that the paper drawer contains the stack of print media having a specific media type and color.