Apparatus and method of determining a media level in a supply tray

The appts includes a sheet picker assembly (14) contg a movable sheet picker, that is configured to move a picked sheet into a media path. A sensor (16) is disposed in association with the media path at a sensor location. The sensor is adapted to detect a sheet travelling through the media path (20) and provide an output signal. A processor (18) is coupled to each of the picker assembly and the sensor. The processor controls movement of the movable picker and receives the sensor output signal. The processor determines a relative position of an uppermost sheet (24) of a remainder of the number of media sheets with respect to a base of a supply tray (12). That is based on an initial actuation of the sheet picker to pick the picked sheet and a sensing of the picked sheet arriving at the sensor.