Systems and methods for visual timeline and operator prompt to improve data collection for a print system. One embodiment includes a printer terminal device configured to receive printer statuses of a printer over a period of time, each printer status indicating one of a printing state, an idle state, and an error state. The printer terminal device is configured to present a Graphical User Interface (GUI) at a display that includes a visual timeline of the printer statuses of the printer over the period of time with a different visual representation for each of the printing state, the idle state, and the error state. The printer terminal device is further configured to determine that a printer status displayed on the visual timeline is associated with absent user input, and to modify the visual timeline to display a visual indicator for the printer status indicating the absent user input.