PURPOSE: To more effectively and more easily use emulation mounted by a print server on a network.

CONSTITUTION: When printing data are sent while designating one of plural print server parts 1 connected through a network 11 to host devices 10, a main control part 3 judges whether the emulation suitable for the printing data is mounted at that print server part 1 or not and when the emulation is not mounted, the other print server part 1 mounted the suitable emulation is retrieved through the network 11. Then, data are prepared at the retrieved print server part 1. These prepared data are transferred to the designated print server part 1 and outputted.