LONG-TERM DEBT (Details)																			12 Months Ended			12 Months Ended				12 Months Ended															12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2011 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2010 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2011 Matthews International S.p.A [Member]	Sep. 30, 2010 Matthews International S.p.A [Member]	Sep. 30, 2011 Matthews International S.p.A [Member] Lines of Credit with Italian Banks [Member] USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2011 Matthews International S.p.A [Member] Lines of Credit with Italian Banks [Member] EUR (€)	Sep. 30, 2010 Matthews International S.p.A [Member] Lines of Credit with Italian Banks [Member] USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2010 Matthews International S.p.A [Member] Lines of Credit with Italian Banks [Member] EUR (€)	Sep. 30, 2011 Matthews International S.p.A [Member] Notes Payable to Banks [Member] USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2011 Matthews International S.p.A [Member] Notes Payable to Banks [Member] EUR (€)	Sep. 30, 2009 Matthews International S.p.A [Member] Notes Payable to Banks [Member] USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2009 Matthews International S.p.A [Member] Notes Payable to Banks [Member] EUR (€)	Sep. 30, 2011 Saueressig [Member] Notes Payable to Banks [Member] USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2011 Saueressig [Member] Notes Payable to Banks [Member] EUR (€)	Sep. 30, 2010 Saueressig [Member] Notes Payable to Banks [Member] USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2010 Saueressig [Member] Notes Payable to Banks [Member] EUR (€)	Sep. 30, 2011 Kroma Pre-Press Preparation Systems Industry & Trade, Inc. [Member] Notes Payable to Banks [Member] USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2011 Kroma Pre-Press Preparation Systems Industry & Trade, Inc. [Member] Notes Payable to Banks [Member] TRY	Sep. 30, 2011 New Domestic Revolving Credit Facility [Member] USD ($)	Nov. 30, 2010 Replaced Revolving Credit Facility [Member] USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2010 Replaced Revolving Credit Facility [Member] USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2010 Credit Facility With European Bank [Member] USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2010 Credit Facility With European Bank [Member] EUR (€)	Sep. 30, 2011 Credit Facility With European Bank [Member] USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2011 Credit Facility With European Bank [Member] EUR (€)	Sep. 30, 2011 Interest Rate Swap 1 [Member] USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2011 Interest Rate Swap 2 [Member] USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2011 Interest Rate Swap 3 [Member] USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2011 Interest Rate Swap 4 [Member] USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2011 Interest Rate Swap 5 [Member] USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2011 Interest Rate Swap 6 [Member] USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2011 Interest Rate Swap 7 [Member] USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2011 Interest Rate Swap 8 [Member] USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2011 Interest Rate Swap 9 [Member] USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2011 Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] Interest Rate Swaps [Member] USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2010 Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] Interest Rate Swaps [Member] USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2011 Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] Interest Rate Swaps [Member] Long-term liabilities: Other liabilities [Member] USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2010 Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] Interest Rate Swaps [Member] Long-term liabilities: Other liabilities [Member] USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2011 Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] Interest Rate Swaps [Member] Current liabilities: Other current liabilities [Member] USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2010 Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] Interest Rate Swaps [Member] Current liabilities: Other current liabilities [Member] USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2011 Interest Rate Swaps [Member] Cash Flow Hedging [Member] Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Member] USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2010 Interest Rate Swaps [Member] Cash Flow Hedging [Member] Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Member] USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2011 Interest Rate Swaps [Member] Cash Flow Hedging [Member] Interest Expense [Member] USD ($)		Sep. 30, 2010 Interest Rate Swaps [Member] Cash Flow Hedging [Member] Interest Expense [Member] USD ($)
LONG-TERM DEBT [Abstract]
Revolving credit facilities	$ 281,593,000	$ 203,361,000
Notes payable to banks	31,193,000	27,359,000
Short-term borrowings	661,000	2,829,000
Capital lease obligations	3,737,000	3,780,000
Total debt and capital lease obligations	317,184,000	237,329,000
Less current maturities	(18,014,000)	(12,073,000)
Total long-term debt and capital lease obligations, excluding current maturities	299,170,000	225,256,000
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Number of lines of credit					3	3
Maximum amount of borrowings available					15,221,000	11,400,000													300,000,000	225,000,000				33,468,000	25,000,000
Interest rate on borrowings, based on leverage ratio																			LIBOR plus a factor ranging from 1.00% to 1.50%
Maturity date																			December 2015			September 2012	September 2012
Annual commitment fee range on unused portion																			.20% to .30% (based on the Company's leverage ratio)
Maximum available for issuance of trade and standby letters of credit																			25,000,000
Outstanding borrowings					661,000	493,000	2,834,000	2,100,000											250,000,000		187,000,000	16,400,000	12,000,000	31,593,000	23,600,000
Weighted-average interest rate on outstanding borrowings (in hundredths)			3.11%	3.47%									6.05%	6.05%	6.18%	6.18%	9.27%	9.27%	2.59%		2.69%	1.58%	1.58%	2.38%	2.38%
Derivative [Line Items]
Effective Date																										September 2007	May 2008	October 2008	May 2011	October 2011	November 2011	March 2012	September 2012	November 2012
Amount																										25,000,000	20,000,000	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%	3.46%	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%	1.25%
Maturity Date																										September 2012	September 2012	October 2011	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	(7,161,000)
Unrealized gain (loss) on fair value of interest rate swaps, after tax	(4,368,000)	(2,711,000)
Unrealized gain (loss) expected to be recognized over the next 12 months	(1,257,000)
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Liability derivatives																																			7,161,000	4,445,000	5,100,000	1,822,000	2,061,000	2,623,000
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Amount of loss recognized in income (loss) on Derivatives																																											(2,600,000)		(3,669,000)
Amount of loss recognized in AOCL on Derivatives																																									(3,246,000)	(1,467,000)
Amount of gain or (loss) reclassified from AOCL into Income (effective portion)																																											(1,586,000)	[1]	(2,238,000)	[1]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Outstanding borrowings on bank loans									11,611,000	8,700,000	16,543,000	12,100,000	11,159,000	8,300,000	10,816,000	7,900,000	7,184,000	13,300,000
Weighted-average interest rate on outstanding borrowings (in hundredths)			3.11%	3.47%									6.05%	6.05%	6.18%	6.18%	9.27%	9.27%	2.59%		2.69%	1.58%	1.58%	2.38%	2.38%
Aggregate maturities of long-term debt, including short-term borrowings and capital leases [Abstract]
2012	18,014,000
2013	7,271,000
2014	9,000,000
2015	282,245,000
2016	562,000
Thereafter	92,000
Total debt and capital lease obligations	$ 317,184,000	$ 237,329,000

[1] There is no ineffective portion or amount excluded from effectiveness testing.