A methodology combining high resolution scanning probe microscopy and image analysis was developed to visualize and quantify the spatial arrangement of paper coating components in cross sections of model coatings. Latex distributions were obtained from pulsed force mode AFM adhesion maps, and pore structures were measured from contact mode AFM topography maps. The coating layer thickness was determined from thermal conductivity maps acquired by microthermal analysis.A set of laboratory coated samples including pigments with various particle sizes and particle size distributions were examined using the methodology. It was found that the porosity and average pore size in the coatings are positively correlated to the average pigment size. Similarly, the average binder area fraction in the cross section of the coating depends on the pigment packing ability, even in the absence of binder migration, resulting in latex distributions with different degrees of uniformity.