Cellulose mixed esters are disclosed having low molecular weights and low degrees of polymerization. These new cellulose mixed esters include cellulose acetate propionate and cellulose acetate butyrate. The esters exhibit solubility in a wide range of organic solvents with minimal viscosity increase, are compatible with a wide variety of resins, and are useful in coatings and inks compositions as binder resins and rheology modifiers.