A porous ink jet recording element having a support having thereon an image-receiving layer having: (a) inorganic particles having a primary particle size of from about 7 to about 40 nm in diameter which may be aggregated up to about 500 nm; (b) colloidal particles having a mean particle size of from about 20 to about 500 nm; (c) water-insoluble, cationic, polymeric particles having at least about 20 mole percent of a cationic mordant moiety; and (d) inorganic particles encapsulated with an organic polymer having a Tg of less than about 100° C.