A treatment-liquid application apparatus includes a rotary treatment-liquid applicator, a rotary treatment-liquid supplier, a transfer rotator, and a contact load adjuster. The contact load adjuster adjusts a contact load of the rotary treatment-liquid supplier on the treatment-liquid applicator. After feeding of a recording medium is initiated by contact between the treatment-liquid applicator and the transfer rotator, an acceleration time until a feed speed of the recording medium reaches a constant speed during printing is set. Before feeding of the recording medium is initiated, the rotary treatment-liquid supplier contacts the treatment-liquid applicator and imparts a contact load L0. During an acceleration operation of the recording medium after feeding of the recording medium is initiated, the transfer rotator contacts the treatment-liquid applicator via the recording medium and imparts a contact load L1, and the contact load adjuster adjusts the contact load L1 to be greater than the contact load L0.