In order to produce color ink jet prints with good fastness properties, the use of special, coated papers is generally essential. The use of modified conventional coating pigments has been suggested as a means to obtain a matte ink jet coating that would combine the good properties of silica-based ink jet coatings and conventional printing papers. This study examined the water fastness of ink jet prints using experimental coated papers containing modified PCC and kaolin pigments, and model inks with known compositions. The properties of the coatings were altered by using different ratios of coating pigments, and types of binder and dispersant. The water fastness of the prints was analyzed using conventional methods for measuring paper properties and print quality, combined with FTIR and Raman spectroscopy and multivariate data analysis methods. The results indicated that within the studied sample sets, primarily the chemical paper–ink interactions contributed to water fastness on cationic PVA-poly-DADMAC coatings, whereas on weakly cationic styrene-acrylate latex-starch coatings, structural paper properties were relevant as well. In general, increased impermeability of the coating appeared to be advantageous. With regard to the chemical paper–ink interactions, ionic bonding between the dye and the coating proved to be beneficial for water fastness, provided that the interacting coating component was insoluble to water.