Patent ID: 8035830

Claim:
An image forming system including an image information processing apparatus that outputs image data, at least one format converting apparatus that converts the image data into ready-to-print data, and an image forming apparatus that prints out the ready-to-print image data, wherein the image information processing apparatus, image forming apparatus, and the at least one format converting apparatus are connected via a network such that the image information processing apparatus, the image forming apparatus, and the at least one format converting apparatus communicate with one another, wherein the image information processing apparatus includes: an image data transmitting section configured to transmit the image data to the image forming apparatus; a display information receiving section configured to receive display information from the format converting apparatus; a display section that displays a printing condition setting screen in accordance with the display information; an operation section through which a user inputs a printing condition via the printing condition setting screen; and a printing condition transmitting section configured to transmit the printing condition to the format converting apparatus; wherein the image forming apparatus includes: a receiving section configured to receive either the image data from the image information processing apparatus or the ready-to-print image data from the format converting apparatus; a printing determining section configured to make a decision to determine whether the image forming apparatus supports conversion of the image data into the ready-to-print image data; a transferring section configured to transfer the image data to the format converting apparatus if said printing determining section determines that the image forming apparatus does not support conversion of the image data into the ready-to-print image data; and a print engine that prints the ready-to-print image data on a printing medium; wherein the format converting apparatus includes: a display information transmitting section configured to transmit the display information to the image information processing apparatus; a printing condition receiving section configured to receive a printing condition from the image information processing apparatus; a data receiving section configured to receive the original image data from the image forming apparatus; a converting section configured to convert the image data into the ready-to-print data in accordance with the printing condition; and a ready-to-print image data transmitting section configured to transmit the ready-to-print image data to the image forming apparatus.