Supplemental guarantor financial information (Condensed consolidating statements of cash flows) (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Condensed Consolidating Statement of Cash Flows [Abstract]
Net Cash (Used) Provided By Operating Activities of Continuing Operations	$ 235,367	$ 212,615	$ 206,438
Cash Flows From Investing Activities:
Purchases of capital assets	(35,506)	(43,932)	(44,266)
Payments for acquisitions, net of cash acquired	(85,641)	(98,621)	(30,825)
Payments on company-owned life insurance policies	(6,383)	0	0
Loans to distributors	(5,175)	0	0
Purchases of marketable securities	(18)	(14)	(4,581)
Purchases of customer lists	0	(265)	(1,639)
Proceeds from sales of marketable securities	0	1,970	914
Proceeds from company-owned life insurance policies	0	6,143	0
Other	938	(1,451)	(1,391)
Net cash used by investing activities of continuing operations	(131,785)	(136,170)	(81,788)
Cash Flows From Financing Activities:
Net payments on short-term debt	(7,000)	(19,000)	(52,000)
Payments on long-term debt, including costs of debt reacquisition	(215,030)	0	(22,627)
Proceeds from issuing long-term debt	200,000	0	0
Payments for debt issue costs	(3,513)	(2,361)	0
Change in book overdrafts	(136)	(693)	(3,360)
Proceeds from issuing shares under employee plans	7,671	3,267	1,972
Excess tax benefit from share-based employee awards	1,052	680	68
Payments for common shares repurchased	(23,620)	(2,999)	(1,319)
Cash dividends paid to shareholders	(51,126)	(51,435)	(51,279)
Advances from (to) consolidated subsidiaries	0	0	0
Net cash used by financing activities of continuing operations	(91,702)	(72,541)	(128,545)
Effect Of Exchange Rate Change on Cash	(576)	690	1,594
Cash Used By Operating Activities Of Discontinued Operations	0	0	(470)
Cash Used By Investing Activities Of Discontinued Operations	0	0	(30)
Net Change In Cash And Cash Equivalents	11,304	4,594	(2,801)
Cash And Cash Equivalents: Beginning Of Year	17,383	12,789	15,590
Cash And Cash Equivalents: End Of Year	28,687	17,383	12,789
Senior notes due 2019 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Parent company's ownership interest in guarantor subsidiaries (in hundredths)	100.00%
Deluxe Corporation [Member]
Condensed Consolidating Statement of Cash Flows [Abstract]
Net Cash (Used) Provided By Operating Activities of Continuing Operations	2,567	(16,786)	(9,287)
Cash Flows From Investing Activities:
Purchases of capital assets	0	0	0
Payments for acquisitions, net of cash acquired	0	0	0
Payments on company-owned life insurance policies	0
Loans to distributors	0
Purchases of marketable securities	0		0
Purchases of customer lists			0
Proceeds from sales of marketable securities			0
Proceeds from company-owned life insurance policies		5,782
Other	(342)	(1,410)	(1,234)
Net cash used by investing activities of continuing operations	(342)	4,372	(1,234)
Cash Flows From Financing Activities:
Net payments on short-term debt	(7,000)	(19,000)	(52,000)
Payments on long-term debt, including costs of debt reacquisition	(215,030)		(21,187)
Proceeds from issuing long-term debt	200,000
Payments for debt issue costs	(3,513)	(2,361)
Change in book overdrafts	742	(1,090)	(3,457)
Proceeds from issuing shares under employee plans	7,671	3,267	1,972
Excess tax benefit from share-based employee awards	1,052	680	68
Payments for common shares repurchased	(23,620)	(2,999)	(1,319)
Cash dividends paid to shareholders	(51,126)	(51,435)	(51,279)
Advances from (to) consolidated subsidiaries	88,449	85,824	136,956
Net cash used by financing activities of continuing operations	(2,375)	12,886	9,754
Effect Of Exchange Rate Change on Cash	0	0	0
Cash Used By Operating Activities Of Discontinued Operations			0
Cash Used By Investing Activities Of Discontinued Operations			0
Net Change In Cash And Cash Equivalents	(150)	472	(767)
Cash And Cash Equivalents: Beginning Of Year	3,197	2,725	3,492
Cash And Cash Equivalents: End Of Year	3,047	3,197	2,725
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Consolidating Statement of Cash Flows [Abstract]
Net Cash (Used) Provided By Operating Activities of Continuing Operations	213,999	224,279	217,167
Cash Flows From Investing Activities:
Purchases of capital assets	(33,731)	(43,005)	(41,777)
Payments for acquisitions, net of cash acquired	(80,486)	(98,621)	(30,825)
Payments on company-owned life insurance policies	(6,383)
Loans to distributors	(4,879)
Purchases of marketable securities	0		0
Purchases of customer lists		(70)	(1,639)
Proceeds from sales of marketable securities			0
Proceeds from company-owned life insurance policies		361
Other	850	(41)	(157)
Net cash used by investing activities of continuing operations	(124,629)	(141,376)	(74,398)
Cash Flows From Financing Activities:
Net payments on short-term debt	0	0	0
Payments on long-term debt, including costs of debt reacquisition	0		(1,440)
Proceeds from issuing long-term debt	0
Payments for debt issue costs	0	0
Change in book overdrafts	(878)	397	97
Proceeds from issuing shares under employee plans	0	0	0
Excess tax benefit from share-based employee awards	0	0	0
Payments for common shares repurchased	0	0	0
Cash dividends paid to shareholders	0	0	0
Advances from (to) consolidated subsidiaries	(87,653)	(83,114)	(140,965)
Net cash used by financing activities of continuing operations	(88,531)	(82,717)	(142,308)
Effect Of Exchange Rate Change on Cash	0	0	0
Cash Used By Operating Activities Of Discontinued Operations			(470)
Cash Used By Investing Activities Of Discontinued Operations			(30)
Net Change In Cash And Cash Equivalents	839	186	(39)
Cash And Cash Equivalents: Beginning Of Year	683	497	536
Cash And Cash Equivalents: End Of Year	1,522	683	497
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Consolidating Statement of Cash Flows [Abstract]
Net Cash (Used) Provided By Operating Activities of Continuing Operations	18,801	5,122	(1,442)
Cash Flows From Investing Activities:
Purchases of capital assets	(1,775)	(927)	(2,489)
Payments for acquisitions, net of cash acquired	(5,155)	0	0
Payments on company-owned life insurance policies	0
Loans to distributors	(296)
Purchases of marketable securities	(18)	(14)	(4,581)
Purchases of customer lists		(195)	0
Proceeds from sales of marketable securities		1,970	914
Other	430		0
Net cash used by investing activities of continuing operations	(6,814)	834	(6,156)
Cash Flows From Financing Activities:
Net payments on short-term debt	0	0	0
Payments on long-term debt, including costs of debt reacquisition	0		0
Proceeds from issuing long-term debt	0
Payments for debt issue costs	0	0
Change in book overdrafts	0	0	0
Proceeds from issuing shares under employee plans	0	0	0
Excess tax benefit from share-based employee awards	0	0	0
Payments for common shares repurchased	0	0	0
Cash dividends paid to shareholders	0	0	0
Advances from (to) consolidated subsidiaries	(796)	(2,710)	4,009
Net cash used by financing activities of continuing operations	(796)	(2,710)	4,009
Effect Of Exchange Rate Change on Cash	(576)	690	1,594
Cash Used By Operating Activities Of Discontinued Operations			0
Cash Used By Investing Activities Of Discontinued Operations			0
Net Change In Cash And Cash Equivalents	10,615	3,936	(1,995)
Cash And Cash Equivalents: Beginning Of Year	13,503	9,567	11,562
Cash And Cash Equivalents: End Of Year	$ 24,118	$ 13,503	$ 9,567