Laboratory coated papers with different pigment compositions (clay and calcium carbonate) and pilot coated papers with different types of latex binders have been characterized by electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis (ESCA). The surfaces were very rich in carbon and approximately 90% of the carbon signal originated from the latex binder. The variable angle technique showed that the outermost surface layer of the coated papers was free from thin overlayers. This made it possible to calculate the paper surface area fractions of clay, calcium carbonate and latex binder. The area fraction of latex in the paper surface decreases with increasing specific surface area of the coating pigments and the area fraction of clay is proportional to the content of clay in the coating colour when this is expressed in area-% instead of weight-%.