A printing apparatus includes a plate cylinder having a relief plate mounted on at least a part of an outer periphery of the plate cylinder and being operable to be rotationally driven about a shaft center, and an impression cylinder having a rigid outer periphery and being operable to be rotationally driven about a shaft center parallel to the shaft center of the plate cylinder. The impression cylinder is adapted to be brought into pressure contact with the relief plate via a sheet-like print object fed between the plate cylinder and the impression cylinder. A cushioning sheet is attachable to and detachable from the outer periphery of the impression cylinder. The cushioning sheet is elastically deformable when being brought into pressure contact with the relief plate on the plate cylinder via the print object. The cushioning sheet is restorable when being separated from the relief plate on the plate cylinder.