An image inspection method comprising: an inspection image acquisition step of acquiring data of an inspection image obtained by capturing an image of a recorded matter recorded by an image recording system that comprises a plurality of image formation elements and performs a compensation process of compensating for a defect caused by a failure in the image formation element, using an imaging apparatus; a reference image acquisition step of acquiring data of a reference image which is a reference for detecting a defect in the recorded matter; and a defect detection step of comparing the data of the inspection image with the data of the reference image to determine whether there is a defect at each position of the inspection image, wherein the defect detection step includes a process that makes a defect detection performance in a compensation application region different from a defect detection performance in a compensation non-application region other than the compensation application region, on the basis of compensation position information of the failure in the image formation element to which the compensation process has been applied, wherein the detection performance is defect detection accuracy determined by a combination of a correct detection performance that accurately determines a defect in the recorded matter and an erroneous detection avoidance performance that avoids erroneously determining a non-defect position of the recorded matter to be a defect, and the defect detection step includes a process that sets the erroneous detection avoidance performance in the compensation application region to be higher than the erroneous detection avoidance performance in the compensation non-application region. an inspection image acquisition step of acquiring data of an inspection image obtained by capturing an image of a recorded matter recorded by an image recording system that comprises a plurality of image formation elements and performs a compensation process of compensating for a defect caused by a failure in the image formation element, using an imaging apparatus; a reference image acquisition step of acquiring data of a reference image which is a reference for detecting a defect in the recorded matter; and a defect detection step of comparing the data of the inspection image with the data of the reference image to determine whether there is a defect at each position of the inspection image, wherein the defect detection step includes a process that makes a defect detection performance in a compensation application region different from a defect detection performance in a compensation non-application region other than the compensation application region, on the basis of compensation position information of the failure in the image formation element to which the compensation process has been applied, wherein the detection performance is defect detection accuracy determined by a combination of a correct detection performance that accurately determines a defect in the recorded matter and an erroneous detection avoidance performance that avoids erroneously determining a non-defect position of the recorded matter to be a defect, and the defect detection step includes a process that sets the erroneous detection avoidance performance in the compensation application region to be higher than the erroneous detection avoidance performance in the compensation non-application region.