Absorbent paper products, such as paper towels, are disclosed which have a combination of high absorbent capacity and a moderate to low rate of absorbency for hand protection. These properties can be produced, for example, using a throughdried basesheet, such as an uncreped throughdried sheet, in which at least one surface of which has been printed with a patterned moisture barrier coating and creped. The presence of the moisture barrier coating on the surface retards the absorbent rate for that side of the sheet while allowing a significant amount of liquid to pass through to the center of the sheet.