The present invention provides a coating material that can improve gravure printing characteristics of the printing surface of a printing substrate to favorably transfer an ink fed in the cell of a gravure printing roll to the printing surface of the printing substrate, thereby achieving the beautiful gravure printing. The coating material of the present invention is a coating material for forming a surface layer serving as a printing surface on a printing substrate to which gravure printing is to be applied, and the coating material is characterized by including a pigment including an inorganic particulate and a skin layer that is formed on a surface of the inorganic particulate and includes an organic compound.