Poly(styrene-co-butyl methacrylate) and poly(styrene-co-butyl acrylate) latices were prepared by emulsion polymerization with alkali-hydrolyzable and nonhydrolyzable cationic emulsifiers and were used as a dispersant and binder for waterborne carbon black (CB) paint. CB was dispersed in the latex solutions and then coated on filter paper pretreated with dilute aqueous Na2CO3 under mild conditions. The styrene (St)-rich rigid copolymer latices easily dispersed the CB but fixed a little amount of the pigment on the paper surface. In contrast, the methacrylate- and acrylate-rich soft latices tended to increase the adhesibility on it. We also demonstrated that the hydrolyzable-emulsifier-containing latices always had a higher adhesibility than the nonhydrolyzable-emulsifier-containing ones. Thus, the hydrolyzable-emulsifier-containing latices with an appropriate St content had the highest paintability, rapid adhesion, quick drying, reduced fading, superior fastness, and so on. (c) 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 130: 3869-3873, 2013