Commitments and Contingencies (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Commitments and Contingencies [Abstract]
Rent expense	$ 4,201,000	$ 3,964,000	$ 4,609,000
Tenant improvement reimbursement allowance	2,100,000
Minimum number of non-cancelable operating leases term for certain production equipment (in years)	3Y
Maximum number of non-cancelable operating leases term for certain production equipment (in years)	5Y
Term for multiple non-cancellable operating leases for new digital presses (in years)	5Y
Leases 5 year lease payments [Abstract]
Outstanding obligation under all equipment operating leases	21,500,000
2012	9,203,000
2013	9,948,000
2014	9,576,000
2015	7,572,000
2016	4,450,000
Thereafter	766,000
Total minimum lease payments	41,515,000
Company's purchase obligations	14,255,000
Line of Credit [Abstract]
Credit Agreement	5Y
Senior secured revolving credit facility	125,000,000
Potential increase in credit facility, maximum	75,000,000
Total credit facility	200,000,000
Interest rate terms	The Base Rate will be, for any day, the highest of a 1/2 of 1 per annum above the Federal Funds Effective Rate as defined in the Credit Agreement, b JPMorgan Chase Bank's prime rate and c the Adjusted LIBO Rate for a term of one month plus 1.00. Eurodollar borrowings may be for one, two, three or six months or such period that is 12 months or less, requested by Intersil and consented to by all the Lenders and will be at an annual rate equal to the period-applicable Eurodollar Rate plus the Applicable Rate. The Applicable Rate for all revolving loans is based on a pricing grid ranging from 0.500 to 1.25 per annum for Base Rate loans and 1.50 to 2.250 for Adjusted LIBO Rate loans based on the Company's Leverage Ratio as defined in the Credit Agreement.
Maximum ratio of consolidated total indebtedness allowed to prevent default	2.75 to 1.00
Minimum ratio of consolidated EBITDA allowed to prevent default	2.50 to 1.00
Credit Facility origination costs	$ 1,100,000
Express Card Systems [Member]
Legal Matters [Abstract]
Number of defendants against whom the complaint was filed in addition to the company	4
Princeton Digital Image [Member]
Legal Matters [Abstract]
Number of defendants against whom the complaint was filed in addition to the company	7
Select Retrieval [Member]
Legal Matters [Abstract]
Number of defendants against whom the complaint was filed in addition to the company	32