A hydrophobic coated paper substrate formed from a paper substrate of paper fibers and internal sizing agent, a surface size layer of one or more surface sizing starches, optionally one or more non-starch hydrophobic surface sizing agents, and optionally one or more paper pigments, on at least one surface of the paper substrate, and at least one hydrophobic pigmented coating layer of a paper pigment component and a hydrophobic pigment binder component on at least one surface size layer. Also a method for preparing such coated paper substrates.