An image processing apparatus includes a multi-gradation-level dither processing unit and a screen processing unit. The multi-gradation-level dither processing unit performs a multi-gradation-level dither process for a target image. The screen processing unit performs an FM screen process for the target image for which the multi-gradation-level dither process has been performed. Further, in the multi-gradation-level dither process, the multi-gradation-level dither processing unit selects each pixel in the target image as a target pixel in turn; using a conversion characteristic corresponding to each local pixel position group in a unit matrix, converts a pixel value of the target pixel to one of: a minimum gradation level, a maximum gradation level and an intermediate gradation level corresponding to the pixel value of the target pixel; and sets a pixel value of each pixel in the unit matrix as a pixel value obtained with the conversion characteristic.