An image forming apparatus connected to a network and including a storage part, a printing request receiving part for receiving a printing request from a data processing apparatus via the network and recording the printing request in the storage part, the printing request including a page description language list indicating at least one page description language applicable to the data processing apparatus, a determining part for determining whether the data processing apparatus is to convert electronic data associated to the printing request into printing data based on whether the page description language list includes a page description language processable by the image forming apparatus, a data obtaining part for transmitting first and second requests to the data processing apparatus and receiving the printing data or the electronic data in response to the first and second request; and a printing part for printing data obtained from the data obtaining part.