Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Debt (Details)

v2.4.0.6
Debt (Details)
3 Months Ended 3 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2011
USD ($)
Dec. 31, 2011
Interest Rate Swaps [Member]
Cash Flow Hedging [Member]
USD ($)
Dec. 31, 2010
Interest Rate Swaps [Member]
Cash Flow Hedging [Member]
USD ($)
Dec. 31, 2011
Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]
Interest Rate Swaps [Member]
USD ($)
Sep. 30, 2011
Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]
Interest Rate Swaps [Member]
USD ($)
Dec. 31, 2011
Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]
Interest Rate Swaps [Member]
Current Liabilities: Other Current Liabilities [Member]
USD ($)
Sep. 30, 2011
Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]
Interest Rate Swaps [Member]
Current Liabilities: Other Current Liabilities [Member]
USD ($)
Dec. 31, 2011
Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]
Interest Rate Swaps [Member]
Long-Term Liabilities: Other Liabilities [Member]
USD ($)
Sep. 30, 2011
Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]
Interest Rate Swaps [Member]
Long-Term Liabilities: Other Liabilities [Member]
USD ($)
Dec. 31, 2011
Interest Rate Swap 1 [Member]
USD ($)
Dec. 31, 2011
Interest Rate Swap 2 [Member]
USD ($)
Dec. 31, 2011
Interest Rate Swap 3 [Member]
USD ($)
Dec. 31, 2011
Interest Rate Swap 4 [Member]
USD ($)
Dec. 31, 2011
Interest Rate Swap 5 [Member]
USD ($)
Dec. 31, 2011
Interest Rate Swap 6 [Member]
USD ($)
Dec. 31, 2011
Interest Rate Swap 7 [Member]
USD ($)
Dec. 31, 2011
Interest Rate Swap 8 [Member]
USD ($)
Dec. 31, 2011
Domestic Revolving Credit Facility [Member]
USD ($)
Sep. 30, 2011
Domestic Revolving Credit Facility [Member]
USD ($)
Dec. 31, 2010
Domestic Revolving Credit Facility [Member]
Dec. 31, 2011
Credit Facility With European Bank [Member]
USD ($)
Dec. 31, 2011
Credit Facility With European Bank [Member]
EUR (€)
Sep. 30, 2011
Credit Facility With European Bank [Member]
USD ($)
Sep. 30, 2011
Credit Facility With European Bank [Member]
EUR (€)
Dec. 31, 2010
Credit Facility With European Bank [Member]
Dec. 31, 2011
Kroma Pre-Press Preparation Systems Industry & Trade, Inc. [Member]
USD ($)
Dec. 31, 2011
Kroma Pre-Press Preparation Systems Industry & Trade, Inc. [Member]
TRY
Sep. 30, 2011
Kroma Pre-Press Preparation Systems Industry & Trade, Inc. [Member]
USD ($)
Sep. 30, 2011
Kroma Pre-Press Preparation Systems Industry & Trade, Inc. [Member]
TRY
Dec. 31, 2011
Matthews International S.p.A [Member]
Dec. 31, 2010
Matthews International S.p.A [Member]
Dec. 31, 2011
Matthews International S.p.A [Member]
Notes Payable to Banks [Member]
USD ($)
Dec. 31, 2011
Matthews International S.p.A [Member]
Notes Payable to Banks [Member]
EUR (€)
Sep. 30, 2011
Matthews International S.p.A [Member]
Notes Payable to Banks [Member]
USD ($)
Sep. 30, 2011
Matthews International S.p.A [Member]
Notes Payable to Banks [Member]
EUR (€)
Dec. 31, 2011
Matthews International S.p.A [Member]
Domestic Revolving Credit Facility [Member]
USD ($)
Dec. 31, 2011
Matthews International S.p.A [Member]
Domestic Revolving Credit Facility [Member]
EUR (€)
Dec. 31, 2011
Matthews International S.p.A [Member]
Lines of Credit with Italian Banks [Member]
USD ($)
Dec. 31, 2011
Matthews International S.p.A [Member]
Lines of Credit with Italian Banks [Member]
EUR (€)
Sep. 30, 2011
Matthews International S.p.A [Member]
Lines of Credit with Italian Banks [Member]
USD ($)
Sep. 30, 2011
Matthews International S.p.A [Member]
Lines of Credit with Italian Banks [Member]
EUR (€)
Dec. 31, 2011
Saueressig [Member]
Notes Payable to Banks [Member]
USD ($)
Dec. 31, 2011
Saueressig [Member]
Notes Payable to Banks [Member]
EUR (€)
Sep. 30, 2011
Saueressig [Member]
Notes Payable to Banks [Member]
USD ($)
Sep. 30, 2011
Saueressig [Member]
Notes Payable to Banks [Member]
EUR (€)
Dec. 31, 2010
Saueressig [Member]
Notes Payable to Banks [Member]
Dec. 31, 2011
Saueressig [Member]
Credit Facility With European Bank [Member]
USD ($)
Dec. 31, 2011
Saueressig [Member]
Credit Facility With European Bank [Member]
EUR (€)
Sep. 30, 2011
Saueressig [Member]
Credit Facility With European Bank [Member]
USD ($)
Sep. 30, 2011
Saueressig [Member]
Credit Facility With European Bank [Member]
EUR (€)
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]                                                                                                    
Maximum amount of borrowings available                                   $ 300,000,000     $ 32,400,000 € 25,000,000                           $ 14,736,000 € 11,400,000                          
Interest rate on borrowings, based on leverage ratio                                   LIBOR plus a factor ranging from 1.00% to 1.50%                                                                
Maturity date                                   December 2015                                                                
Annual commitment fee range on unused portion                                   .20% to .30% (based on the Company's leverage ratio)                                                                
Maximum available for issuance of commercial and standby letters of credit                                   25,000,000                                                                
Outstanding borrowings                                   252,500,000 250,000,000   30,586,000 23,600,000 31,593,000 23,600,000   8,347,000 16,000,000 7,184,000 13,300,000                 1,646,000 1,300,000 661,000 493,000           10,806,000 8,300,000 11,159,000 8,300,000
Weighted-average interest rate on outstanding borrowings (in hundredths)                                   2.68%   2.89% 2.38% 2.38%     2.00% 9.66% 9.66%     3.16% 3.39%                     6.05% 6.05%     6.28%        
Derivative [Line Items]                                                                                                    
Effective Date                   September 2007 May 2008 May 2011 October 2011 November 2011 March 2012 September 2012 November 2012                                                                  
Amount                   25,000,000 20,000,000 25,000,000 25,000,000 25,000,000 25,000,000 25,000,000 25,000,000                                                                  
Fixed Interest Rate (in hundredths)                   4.77% 3.72% 1.37% 1.67% 2.13% 2.44% 3.03% 1.33%                                                                  
Interest Rate Spread (in hundredths)                   1.25% 1.25% 1.25% 1.25% 1.25% 1.25% 1.25% 1.25%                                                                  
Maturity Date                   September 2012 September 2012 May 2014 October 2015 November 2014 March 2015 December 2015 November 2015                                                                  
Interest rate cash flow hedges [Abstract]                                                                                                    
Unrealized gain (loss) on fair value of interest rate swaps 6,999,000                                                                                                  
Unrealized gain (loss) on fair value of interest rate swaps, after tax 4,269,000                                                                                                  
Unrealized gain (loss) expected to be recognized over the next 12 months 1,611,000                                                                                                  
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]                                                                                                    
Liability derivatives       6,999,000 7,161,000 2,641,000 2,061,000 4,358,000 5,100,000                                                                                  
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]                                                                                                    
Amount of loss recognized in income (loss) on derivatives   (687,000) (757,000)                                                                                              
Amount of gain or (loss) recognized in AOCL on derivatives   (320,000) 15,000                                                                                              
Amount of gain or (loss) reclassified from AOCL into income (effective portion)   (419,000) (462,000)                                                                                              
Debt Instrument [Line Items]                                                                                                    
Outstanding borrowings on bank loans                                                               $ 8,950,000 € 6,900,000 $ 11,611,000 € 8,700,000             $ 10,806,000 € 8,300,000 $ 11,159,000 € 8,300,000          
Weighted-average interest rate on outstanding borrowings (in hundredths)                                   2.68%   2.89% 2.38% 2.38%     2.00% 9.66% 9.66%     3.16% 3.39%                     6.05% 6.05%     6.28%