The present invention is drawn to polymer-encapsulated pigments and methods of making the same. The method includes providing an emulsion including water and a discontinuous coating phase having a copolymer dissolved in a monomer mix; providing a pigment dispersion including water, surfactant, and pigments dispersed therein; mixing the emulsion with the pigment dispersion under high shear conditions such that the coating phase is deposited on the pigments, thereby forming polymer and monomer coated pigments; and polymerizing the monomers at the surface of the polymer and monomer coated pigments to form polymer-encapsulated pigments dispersed in a fluid medium.