Condensed Consolidating Financial Information (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011
Condensed Consolidating Financial Information
Ownership interest in Guarantor Subsidiaries (as a percent)	100.00%		100.00%
Condensed consolidating statement of operations
Net sales	$ 206.3	$ 174.9	$ 616.2	$ 530.5
Cost of products sold	170.6	147.5	494.8	436.4
Gross profit	35.7	27.4	121.4	94.1
Selling, general and administrative expenses	18.5	15.1	57.1	50.1
SERP settlement charge			3.5
Acquisition integration costs	0.3		4.7
Loss on retirement of bonds			0.2	2.4
Other expense - net	0.6	(0.2)	1.4	(1.4)
Operating income	16.3	12.5	54.5	43.0
Interest expense - net	3.3	3.6	10.4	11.8
Income from continuing operations before income taxes	13.0	8.9	44.1	31.2
Provision for income taxes	3.8	2.1	13.3	9.6
Income from continuing operations	9.2	6.8	30.8	21.6
Loss from discontinued operations, net of income taxes	(0.1)	(0.1)	(0.1)	(0.2)
Net income	9.1	6.7	30.7	21.4
Neenah Paper, Inc.
Condensed consolidating statement of operations
Net sales	108.5	67.1	305.3	202.0
Cost of products sold	86.4	51.7	237.9	153.8
Gross profit	22.1	15.4	67.4	48.2
Selling, general and administrative expenses	12.5	9.2	36.0	30.7
SERP settlement charge			3.5
Acquisition integration costs	0.3		4.7
Loss on retirement of bonds	0.2		0.2	2.4
Other expense - net		(0.2)	0.1	(0.5)
Operating income	9.3	6.4	22.9	15.6
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries	(5.1)	(5.1)	(23.7)	(20.8)
Interest expense - net	3.2	3.3	9.9	10.9
Income from continuing operations before income taxes	11.2	8.2	36.7	25.5
Provision for income taxes	2.1	1.5	6.0	4.1
Income from continuing operations	9.1	6.7	30.7	21.4
Net income	9.1	6.7	30.7	21.4
Guarantor Subsidiaries
Condensed consolidating statement of operations
Net sales	35.3	34.4	107.0	110.8
Cost of products sold	28.7	29.2	84.9	90.0
Gross profit	6.6	5.2	22.1	20.8
Selling, general and administrative expenses	2.4	2.1	8.0	7.7
Other expense - net	0.3	0.1	0.9	0.3
Operating income	3.9	3.0	13.2	12.8
Interest expense - net				0.1
Income from continuing operations before income taxes	3.9	3.0	13.2	12.7
Provision for income taxes	1.6	0.4	4.8	4.2
Income from continuing operations	2.3	2.6	8.4	8.5
Loss from discontinued operations, net of income taxes	(0.1)	(0.1)	(0.1)	(0.2)
Net income	2.2	2.5	8.3	8.3
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Condensed consolidating statement of operations
Net sales	62.5	73.4	203.9	217.7
Cost of products sold	55.5	66.6	172.0	192.6
Gross profit	7.0	6.8	31.9	25.1
Selling, general and administrative expenses	3.6	3.8	13.1	11.7
Other expense - net	0.3	(0.1)	0.4	(1.2)
Operating income	3.1	3.1	18.4	14.6
Interest expense - net	0.1	0.3	0.5	0.8
Income from continuing operations before income taxes	3.0	2.8	17.9	13.8
Provision for income taxes	0.1	0.2	2.5	1.3
Income from continuing operations	2.9	2.6	15.4	12.5
Net income	2.9	2.6	15.4	12.5
Consolidating Adjustments
Condensed consolidating statement of operations
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries	5.1	5.1	23.7	20.8
Income from continuing operations before income taxes	(5.1)	(5.1)	(23.7)	(20.8)
Income from continuing operations	(5.1)	(5.1)	(23.7)	(20.8)
Net income	$ (5.1)	$ (5.1)	$ (23.7)	$ (20.8)