To provide a surface protecting agent for a printed matter which consists of a nonsilicone-based material or the like having no fear of deactivation of a platinum catalyst and which can demonstrate rubbing preventing performance or the like even when high-speed printing or the like is carried out and further to provide a method for protecting a printed matter surface using the surface protecting agent.

The surface protecting agent for the printed matter is used as an aqueous dispersion containing (A) 100 pts.wt. of water, (B) 0.01 to 10 pts.wt. of at least one water-insoluble aliphatic compound selected from a group consisting of fatty acid glycol ester, aliphatic alcohol, aliphatic alcohol ester, aliphatic ether and fatty acid monoalkylolamide and (C) 0.01 to 20 pts.wt. of a surfactant. The method for protecting the printed matter surface using the surface protecting agent is also provided.