According to one embodiment, a printing calibration processing apparatus includes: a gradation-characteristic-data generating section configured to read images of a printed surface and a rear surface of a test chart output by an image forming section and generate gradation characteristic data of the surfaces; a gradation-correction-date creating section configured to determine a correction value of maximum gradation on the basis of gradation characteristics of the surfaces; a color-material-amount-conversion-data creating section configured to determine a maximum of a color material on the basis of the correction value of the maximum gradation; a color-material-amount-limitation processing section configured to perform, concerning image data for printing, limitation processing for setting the maximum of the color material as an upper limit of a color material use amount; and a gradation correcting section configured to apply gradation correction to the image data subjected to the limitation processing using the gradation correction data.