An image processing apparatus includes circuitry to acquire input image data, perform image conversion on the input image data to generate the output image data corresponding to each of a plurality of output conditions, and calculate a color feature amount that is a change amount of color characteristics of each pixel from the input image data and the output image data before and after the image conversion. The circuitry calculates cost information indicating cost of the output image data corresponding to each of the plurality of output conditions, based on the plurality of output conditions and the output image data, and calculates cost effectiveness with reference to the color feature amount, the cost information, and a weighting table in which weights for items of the plurality of output conditions are set, to determine one output condition of the plurality of output conditions to be used for output.