A printing apparatus is described. The printing apparatus has at least one pad including a cavity and a printing surface, a printing device adapted to form at least one image portion on the printing surface of the least one pad, a pad moving apparatus adapted to orient the pad in a first working position in which the image portion is formed in the printing surface of the pad by means of the printing device and in a second working position, different from the first working position, in which the image portion is imprinted on the object to be decorated by pressing the pad onto the object, a further device adapted to act on the cavity of the pad to determine a flat shape of the printing surface of the entire pad in the first working position and a substantially convex shape of the printing surface of the entire pad in the second working position.