An image processing apparatus that generates information for forming a color material layer and a concavo-convex layer on the surface of a printing medium to reproduce a surface of a three-dimensional object, the apparatus comprising: a shape information acquisition means configured to acquire shape information representing concavities / convexities of the surface of the three-dimensional object, wherein the shape information is data describing a two-dimensional distribution of heights of said concavities / convexities with respect to a reference surface, wherein each height (h) of the data is held by a pixel of said data as a pixel value thereof; and a first generation means configured to generate first concavo-convex layer information comprising pixels the values of which indicate heights of concavities / convexities of a first concavo-convex layer to be formed beneath the color material layer based on the shape information, and second concavo-convex layer information comprising pixels the values of which indicate heights of concavities / convexities of a second concavo-convex layer to be formed on the color material layer; characterized in that the first generation means generates the second concavo-convex layer information by calculating, for each pixel in the shape information, a difference (h 2 ) between the pixel value (h) of the each pixel in the shape information and the pixel value (h 1 ) of a pixel in the first concavo-convex layer information at a pixel coordinate corresponding to a pixel coordinate (x, y) of the each pixel in the shape information, and by setting the pixel value of a pixel in the second concavo-convex layer information at a pixel coordinate corresponding to a pixel coordinate (x, y) of the each pixel in the shape information to the calculated difference; and wherein the concavo-convex shape that is to be reproduced by the first concavo-convex layer information is a shape onto which ink can settle. a shape information acquisition means configured to acquire shape information representing concavities / convexities of the surface of the three-dimensional object, wherein the shape information is data describing a two-dimensional distribution of heights of said concavities / convexities with respect to a reference surface, wherein each height (h) of the data is held by a pixel of said data as a pixel value thereof; and a first generation means configured to generate first concavo-convex layer information comprising pixels the values of which indicate heights of concavities / convexities of a first concavo-convex layer to be formed beneath the color material layer based on the shape information, and second concavo-convex layer information comprising pixels the values of which indicate heights of concavities / convexities of a second concavo-convex layer to be formed on the color material layer; characterized in that the first generation means generates the second concavo-convex layer information by calculating, for each pixel in the shape information, a difference (h 2 ) between the pixel value (h) of the each pixel in the shape information and the pixel value (h 1 ) of a pixel in the first concavo-convex layer information at a pixel coordinate corresponding to a pixel coordinate (x, y) of the each pixel in the shape information, and by setting the pixel value of a pixel in the second concavo-convex layer information at a pixel coordinate corresponding to a pixel coordinate (x, y) of the each pixel in the shape information to the calculated difference; and wherein the concavo-convex shape that is to be reproduced by the first concavo-convex layer information is a shape onto which ink can settle. <EOS>