Abstract: A coating formulation is disclosed that is capable of imparting, onto the treated substrate, an excellent adsorption performance, good print appearance, and enhanced rub-off resistance. Furthermore, the disclosed formulation has good ink stability and offers high quality print appearance throughout long printing runs of high speeding printing applications. The formulation comprises an activated carbon having a particle size of less than 1 micron and a binder, wherein an amount of the binder by weight is in a range of about 30 parts to 100 parts per 100 parts of the activated carbon, and the formulation has a dry basis BET Surface Area of greater than 100 m2/g.