To provide an image forming apparatus which restores image data without re-transmission and registration to the image forming apparatus even when the image data stored in a recording medium are broken.

The image formation apparatus for printing the image data in accordance with a printing order includes: an image receiving unit for receiving the image data from an external apparatus; an image storage unit for storing the image data received by the image receiving unit; an image transmitting unit for transferring the image data stored in the image storage unit to an external apparatus; a history information managing unit for storing the history information of the image data transferred to the external apparatus by the image transmitting unit; and an external image retrieving unit for retrieving the transferred image data from the external apparatus and causes the image receiving unit to receive the data based on the history information stored in the history information managing unit. When retrieval of the image data stored in the image storing unit fails, the external image retrieving unit retrieves the image data from the external apparatus and restores that in the image storing unit.