Agar-agar extracted from red algae was used as a surface sizing material for paper after filtering, bleaching, and viscosity adjustment by oxidative depolymerization. Oxidized starches from corn and tapioca were compared to agar-based surface size in the respects of paper surface modification, strength improvement, and printability. Agar-based surface size showed high strength improvement and good printability as much as starch-based ones except film forming ability, which may be improved by adding additives, and demonstrated its great potential to be used as inexpensive and high quality surface size in future.