In an image data server 200, a preview data generation unit 218 generates preview data corresponding to image data, and a transmission controller 211 transmits the preview data to a computer system 100 in an image receiver apparatus. In accordance with another possible application, the preview data is not generated by the image data server 200, but is generated by a computer system 300 in an image transmitter apparatus, which transmits the image data to the image data server 200, and transmitted to the image data server 200. In the computer system 100 in the image receiver apparatus, a display controller 113 causes the contents of the preview data to be displayed on the screen of a monitor 150. The user determines whether or not the image data corresponding to the displayed preview image is required. In response to an instruction for transfer of the image data input from the user, a transmission controller 111 transmits a request for transfer of the image data to the image data server 200. The transmission controller 211 then transmits the image data, which is the object of the request for transfer, to the computer system 100 in the image receiver apparatus. A print controller 114 causes the image data to be subjected to predetermined image processing, and a printer 180 prints the processed image data on a printing sheet of paper. This arrangement of the present invention enables the image receiver apparatus to selectively receive only the required data.