Surface enhanced pulp fibers at a substrate surface

A method of making a paper product having improved printed characteristics, comprising the steps of:

• depositing an aqueous slurry comprising a blend of cellulosic fibers and water onto a wire moving in a machine direction;
• at least partially dewatering the aqueous slurry of cellulosic fibers and water to form a fibrous substrate;
• applying a surface treatment to a top surface of the fibrous substrate to form a treated fibrous substrate, wherein:
• the surface treatment comprises an aqueous composition that comprises hardwood pulp fibers and water;
• the hardwood pulp fibers have a length weighted average fiber length of at least 0.19 millimeters (mm) and an average hydrodynamic specific surface area of at least 10 square meters per gram (m2/g);
• and
• the hardwood pulp fibers have a concentration of 0.5 to 7.5 percent in the aqueous composition;
• and
• drying the treated fibrous substrate to form a paper product, wherein a basis weight of the hardwood pulp fibers in the formed paper product is between 1 and 20 gsm.