The invention provides a method and apparatus for generating user preference data regarding the color characteristic. In the method, When an image which is converted to have color characteristics which a user prefers with respect to a prescribed image is a preference image, a color characteristics value of the preference image is a preferred characteristic value and a color characteristic value of the prescribed image is a referred characteristic value. The method for generating user preference data comprises (a) obtaining an image color characteristic value of a preference image and a reference image, (b) generating (preference value, reference value) which corresponds to a pair of the preference value and the reference value. According to the invention, the converting target value can be setted on the basis of the characteristic of the user. |