An image processing method and apparatus enhancing sharpness of an image while suppressing enhancement of noise components. Image data is separated into frequency components, and an evaluation value for evaluating the level of an image to be enhanced is calculated for each pixel. A gain for an intermediate/high frequency component is set in accordance with the evaluation value, and multiplied by the intermediate/high frequency component, and the frequency components are synthesized. Test images, each having a density which is different from the other but constant over the test image, are prepared and an evaluation value is obtained from each of the test images as an evaluation correction value. The evaluation value of the image for processing is corrected by subtracting the evaluation correction value corresponding to the density of each pixel from the evaluation value of the image data to be processed for each pixel.