Patent ID: 8638456

Claim:
An image processing apparatus communicable with an external image processing apparatus which comprises a storage unit configured to associate and store application data capable of being used by application software and independent data created by converting the application data into data of a format independent from the application software, comprising: a processing unit configured to process the independent data for printing the independent data; a determination unit configured to determine whether the independent data, out of the application data and the independent data associated and stored in the storage unit of the external image processing apparatus, is processible by the processing unit; an acquisition unit configured to acquire the independent data in preference to the application data from the external image processing apparatus if the determination unit determines that the data format of the independent data is processible, and acquire the application data from the external image processing apparatus if the determination unit determines that the data format of the independent data is not processible; a conversion unit configured to convert the application data acquired by the acquisition unit into image data of a printable data format; and a printing unit configured to print an image according to the image data converted by the conversion unit or an image according to the processed independent data acquired by the acquisition unit.