The penetration of CMC solutions and coating liquids into paper sheets was investigated experimentally and modeled using a Lucas-Washburn equation (Lepoutre, 1978) adequately modified to account for the dynamic contact angle and the coating fluid rheology. A numerical simulation of the fluid penetration based on the finite element resolution of the Navier-Stokes equations was carried out as well. The numerical predictions and the predictions of the Lucas-Washburn equation were compared with the experimental data showing the limitations of the models. oating is a widely used process in the paper industry to C enhance the appearance and printability of papers. It consists of applying a thin layer of mineral slurry on the basesheet, which is subsequently finished by drying and soft calendering. The main ingredients of a typical coating liquid (called coating color) formulation are water, pigments, adhesives, and a number of processing aids. During the application process, the interaction between the coating color and the web results in color penetration into the basesheet, which affects the quality of the coat layer and therefore the coated paper. A good knowledge of this phenomenon is essential to control the quality of the final product. The main parameters affecting the degree of penetration are the porosity of the basesheet, its permeability, the surface tension and the contact angle (Kent and Lyne, 1989).Paper sheets are composed of fibers having a wide range of thickness, shape and length. Their arrangement in a ran-