The composition and quantity of styrene-maleic anhydride (SMA) copolymer resins were varied in emulsion copolymerizations of methyl methacrylate and n-butyl acrylate conducted by both batch and semicontinuous processes. The resulting particle sizes and levels of coagulum were measured to determine the optimum conditions for incorporation of the SMA resins into the resulting latexes. A semicontinuous process, in which no buffer was included and the SMA was added in a second stage comonomer emulsion, was found to produce coagulum-free latexes. These recipes, however, relied on nucleation of the polymer particles by conventional surfactants [nonyl phenol poly(ethylene) oxide and its corresponding sulfate salt] with a first-stage addition of a monomer emulsion prepared with these surfactants. SMA1000, having a 1/1 ratio of styrene to maleic anhydride in its copolymer, was determined to be the preferred resin (as opposed to SMA2000 and SMA3000, having SMA ratios of 2/1 and 3/1, respectively) because it interacted the least with conventional surfactants, which allowed its ready incorporation into coagulum-free recipes. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 70: 2729–2747, 1998