A printing method of printing a background and an image on a medium using a discharge head, the printing method comprising: a background printing step of printing a background on the medium by discharging background ink; and an image printing step of printing an image on the medium by discharging image ink, the image printing step and the background printing step being performed during the same relative movement operation between said discharge head and said medium, wherein a non-printing area, where the background ink and the image ink are not discharged to a boundary between the background and the image, is provided in the background printing step and the image printing step, the method further comprising: a base printing step of printing a base by discharging base ink to the medium before said relative movement operation including the background printing step and the image printing step, wherein the background ink and the base ink are ink of the same color, wherein the base covers the entirety of a region of the medium within which the background and the image are printed, the size of said base printed on the medium being at least equal to the size of said background and said image including said non-printing area, and wherein the background and the image are overprinted on top of the base so as to entirely overlap the base. a background printing step of printing a background on the medium by discharging background ink; and an image printing step of printing an image on the medium by discharging image ink, the image printing step and the background printing step being performed during the same relative movement operation between said discharge head and said medium, wherein a non-printing area, where the background ink and the image ink are not discharged to a boundary between the background and the image, is provided in the background printing step and the image printing step, the method further comprising: a base printing step of printing a base by discharging base ink to the medium before said relative movement operation including the background printing step and the image printing step, wherein the background ink and the base ink are ink of the same color, wherein the base covers the entirety of a region of the medium within which the background and the image are printed, the size of said base printed on the medium being at least equal to the size of said background and said image including said non-printing area, and wherein the background and the image are overprinted on top of the base so as to entirely overlap the base. a base printing step of printing a base by discharging base ink to the medium before said relative movement operation including the background printing step and the image printing step, wherein the background ink and the base ink are ink of the same color, wherein the base covers the entirety of a region of the medium within which the background and the image are printed, the size of said base printed on the medium being at least equal to the size of said background and said image including said non-printing area, and wherein the background and the image are overprinted on top of the base so as to entirely overlap the base.