<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0306</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4/A</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2012-09-21</periodOfReport>

    <dateOfOriginalSubmission>2013-01-02</dateOfOriginalSubmission>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0000215419</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>CHECKPOINT SYSTEMS INC</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>CKP</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001101331</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>ANTLE WILLIAM S III</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>101 WOLF DRIVE</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>THOROFARE, NJ 08086</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity></rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState></rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode></rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>1</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2012-09-21</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>A</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
                <footnoteId id="F5"/>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>4841</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                    <footnoteId id="F3"/>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>8.65</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>A</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>143105</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                    <footnoteId id="F4"/>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value></value>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">All shares acquired under the Director's Deferred Compensation Plan.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">Director has elected to defer receipt of RSUs until termination of service as a director or some other later date.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F3">This amendment is made to correct the amount of shares acquired that had been erroneously reported as 4,841 shares. The correct amount of shares acquired is 3,612 shares.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F4">The Form 4 filed by the Reporting Person on September 25, 2012 incorrectly stated that the Reporting Person beneficially owned 143,105 shares following the reported transaction, when the Reporting Person actually beneficially owned 127,486 shares as of September 21, 2012.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F5">This amended Form 4 is being filed to correct the disclosure to indicate an acquisition &quot;A&quot; of the shares not a purchase &quot;P&quot; as previously disclosed.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <remarks></remarks>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>Carol Welch p/o/a William S. Antle, III</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2013-01-02</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
