Patent ID: 7388684

Claim:
An image transfer apparatus for simultaneously transferring image data for a plurality of color planes of an identical color page to a printer for simultaneously forming an image having the plurality of color planes, said image transfer apparatus comprising: order estimating means for estimating the order in which image data blocks for the plurality of color planes of the identical color page are to be output in the printer; image data transfer means for transferring the image data blocks in the order estimated by said order estimating means; and transfer-enable-signal receiving means for receiving from the printer a signal indicating whether an image data block transferred by said image data transfer means is transferable, wherein, when the signal received by said transfer-enable-signal receiving means indicates that an image data block estimated by said order estimating means to be located at the head of the order is transferable, said image data transfer means transfers the image data block, and when the signal received by said transfer-enable-signal receiving means indicates that the image data block is not transferable, said image transfer means transfers another image data block which is transferable.