Coated paper substrates having a high gloss suitable for vacuum metallization are manufactured by a direct coating method which comprises laminating an interleaving film and the thermoplastic resin-coated surface of a paper substrate employing suitable temperatures and pressure to render the thermoplastic flowable and thereafter nonflowable. The interleaving film is than stripped away leaving the resin-coated paper substrate with a high specular gloss which can thereafter be vacuum metallized.

Similar high gloss paper substrates are also provided by a transfer coating process which comprises laminating a paper substrate and the thermoplastic resin-coated surface of a transfer film employing sufficient temperatures and pressure to first render the thermoplastic resin flowable and then nonflowable and thereafter stripping away the transfer film.

Paper substrates having 75° specular gloss readings of at least 85 prepared by a process of this invention are then vacuum metallized resulting in the manufacture of highly reflective metallized paper.