The present invention relates to a coating composition for fibrous substrates made up of 0.5 to 25 percent by weight of a water-insoluble emulsion polymer comprising from greater than 0.4 to 3 mole percent of one or more cationic monomer units and at least 50 mole percent of at least one vinyl ester monomer; 25 to 75 percent by weight pigment; cationic surfactant; and water. The coating is useful on fibrous substrates on which liquid inks will be fixed. The cationic nature of the coating provides the substrate with an excellent point of attachment for anionic inks and dyes, resulting in bright, crisp printed images. The coating is especially useful for ink-jet printing on paper, paperboard, textiles, non-wovens, and wood.