Page printer having improved system for receiving and printing raster pixel image data from a host computer

Apparatus including a page printer for printing raster pixel image data on a page, said page printer connected to a computer by a standard input/output (I/O) interface that enables an interface data transfer rate of raster pixel image data, said computer assembling and transferring said raster formatted pixel image data in either compressed or uncompressed form, to said printer, said page printer comprising:

• a print engine for printing said raster formatted pixel image data on a page at a constant rate;
• a random access memory (RAM) coupled to said print engine;
• and
• processor means coupled to said RAM and said print engine, for allocating a portion of said RAM as a buffer for said raster formatted pixel image data received from said computer via said standard I/O interface when said constant rate of said print engine is greater than said interface data transfer rate, said buffer sized to hold an initial quantity of said raster formatted pixel image data comprising a portion of a page, said processor means controlling said print engine to commence printing of a page from data in said buffer using said initial quantity only when said buffer contains at least said initial quantity, said interface data transfer rate enabling transfer to RAM of sufficient additional said raster formatted pixel image data to enable said print engine to complete printing of said page therefrom without stopping, after said initial quantity of said raster formatted pixel has been printed.