preferably the sizing composition should result in from about 0 02 to about 0 6 and most preferably from about 0 04 to about 0 4 of ketene dimer based on the weight of dry paper this invention is illustrated by the following examples but is not limited by them all parts and percentages are by weight unless otherwise specified the degree of sizing is measured by either a 1 minute cobb test using water which is a standard internationally recognized test or by the hercules sizing test h s t the cobb test measures water absorbed and higher sizing is shown by lower cobb values in the hst a sheet of sized paper is laid onto a solution containing by weight 1 of formic acid and 1 2 of naphthol green b the reflectance of the paper is measured initially and is then monitored as it falls due to ink penetration into the paper the hst time in seconds is the time taken for the reflectance to fall to 80 of its initial value it can thus be seen that the larger the hst value the better is the sizing glycerol tristearate ketene dimer mixtures made from a mixed feed of palmitic stearic acids having ratios of 0 1 2 1 3 1 5 1 and 9 1 were prepared by melting and blending the two components these mixtures were dispersed in aqueous dispersions of a waxy maize cationic starch having a degree of substitution of 0.