A printing apparatus includes: a unit that generates test pattern data considering visual characteristics, on the basis of a test pattern grayscale value determined on the basis of visual sensitivity; an N-value conversion unit that converts the test pattern data generated by the unit that generates test pattern data considering visual characteristics into an N value (N.gtoreq.2: N is a natural number); a printing data generating unit that generates test pattern printing data on the basis of the N-value test pattern data output from the N-value conversion unit; a printing unit that performs printing on the basis of the test pattern printing data generated by the printing data generating unit; an output density detecting unit that detects the output density of a test pattern printed by the printing unit; a printer input/output density information generating unit that generates printer input/output density information for correcting input density, on the basis of the output density of the test pattern detected by the output density detecting unit; an image data acquiring unit that acquires image data composed of M values (M>N.gtoreq.2: M is a natural number); and an input density correcting unit that corrects the input density of the image data acquired by the image data acquiring unit, on the basis of the printer input/output density information generated by the printer input/output density information generating unit.