Abstract: In an arrangement in which compressed image data including color image information is to be directed to a printer in streams of data including Sample data, Mask data, Color data and Command or instruction data, wherein the compressed data is directed along a bus, data is retrieved from the bus, with instructions from a fetcher which includes direct memory access (DMA), and is directed to several data type specific FIFO memories. A combiner, operating in accordance with instructions stored in a command FIFO, removes data from the Sample, Mask and Constant Color FIFO's in accordance with the desired image requirements as specified by Command data to form an output image.