PURPOSE: To obtain an aq. coating compsn. having a suitable film-forming capability and a favorable balance among softness, blocking resistance, print resistance, and hardness, and an emulsion polymer blend used for preparing the same.

CONSTITUTION: This emulsion polymer blend comprises about 95-40 wt.% at least one first latex and about 5-60 wt.% at least one second latex. The first latex is multistage, comprising about 95-50 wt.% at least one soft stage polymer having a Tg of 50°C or lower and about 5-50 wt.% at least one hard stage polymer having a Tg of about 20-160°C, the Tg of the soft stage polymer being lower than that of the hard stage polymer. The second latex has no film-forming capability at an ambient temp. The aq. coating compsn. contains the blend in an amt. of about 30-100 vol.%.