The present invention provides a blend of a soft water reducible polyurethane with a high percentage of tethered ethylene oxide rich chains and a harder acrylic copolymer with specified percentages of repeat units from C1-C12 esters of acrylic and/or methacrylic acid and an acid component from combined acrylic and methacrylic acid. The blend forms the binder in a coating that exhibits the possibilities of having high gloss, transparency, and facilitating the conversion of inks applied to the coating to a smudge resistant image in a short period of time after application of the ink.