A light weight coated paper is provided by a process wherein paper stock having a weight ranging from about 22 to 26 pounds per ream is coated with from about 4 to 8 pounds per ream of an aqueous coating formulation comprising:a) a pigment composition comprising:i) from about 60 to 80 parts by weight of delaminated clay;ii) from about 15 to 30 parts by weight of calcined clay; andiii) from about 5 to 15 parts by weight of a whitening pigment;b) from about 15 to 30 parts by weight of a starch binder;c) from about 3 to 7 parts by weight of a starch cross-linking agent per 100 parts by weight starch;d) from about 0.5 to 1.5 parts of a lubricant per 100 parts by weight pigment;e) water in an amount sufficient to provide a coating formulation having from about 45 to 50% by weight solids; andf) sufficient basic buffer to raise the pH to about 8 to 8.5.