Abstract: The present invention relates to a coating composition for a recording medium useful in ink jet printing of photographic images to provide a high gloss finish. The coating composition for an ink jet recording medium comprises colloidal silica and a synthetic resin emulsion having two or more glass transition points. The synthetic resin emulsion is obtained by emulsion-polymerizing, simultaneously or separately, (A) a radical-polymerizable unsaturated monomer having a silyl group and (B) another radical-polymerizable unsaturated monomer which is copolymerizable unsaturated monomer which is copolymerizable with (A), in the presence of a radical polymerizable surfactant.