Abstract: A network protocol, transmission format, and hardware interface facilitating high speed transmission of raster data from a host computer having a raster image processor to a printer. The protocol and hardware interface of the present invention minimize memory-to-memory transfers of raster data by defining data transfers directly from local memory of network hardware to memory associated with a raster connection management module. The transmission format of the present invention minimizes handshaking by sending a large number of data packets between acknowledgements. In addition, the present invention allows a host computer system to request printer profile information, and process raster data based on the profile information.