PRINT MEDIA PRODUCTS FOR GENERATING HIGH QUALITY, WATER-FASTIMAGES AND METHODS FOR MAKING THE SAME

Ink-receiving print media products (10, 100, 200) having multiple capabiliti es including (A) minimal drying time; (B) improved smear-fastness; (C) a high level of water-fastness; (D) the ability to generate high-definition images; and (E) excellent ink compatibility. The media products (10, 100, 200) have at least one ink- receiving layer (30) on a substrate (12) (e.g. paper pre-coated with one or more binde rs and/or pigments). The ink-receiving layer (30) includes a pigment (boehmite, pseudo - boehmite, or mixtures thereof) optimally combined with a special binder blen d [polyvinyl alcohol, a polyvinyl acetate-ethylene) copolymer, and a polyvinyl pyrrolidone-vinyl acetate) copolymer]. Also included is a special dye fixati ve (namely, a cationic emulsion polymer) which provides enhanced water-fastness . This fixative is of a particular type (a quaternary amine) that also allows high pigment levels to be employed (at least about 65% by weight) which further promotes the foregoing benefits.