Fair Value Measurements - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Apr. 30, 2013	Jul. 31, 2014	Jul. 31, 2013	Jul. 31, 2012
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Document Period End Date		Jul. 31, 2014
Goodwill, Acquired During Period			$ 170,180
Loss on write-down of assets held for sale	15,658	0	15,658	0
Goodwill		515,004	617,236	676,791
Impairment charges		(100,412)	190,505
Property, plant and equipment — net		134,171	122,158
Global PeopleID [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Goodwill		193,689
Estimated implied fair value		93,277
Identification Solutions [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Goodwill, Acquired During Period			170,180
Goodwill		412,289	517,029	367,893
Impairment of Intangible Assets (Excluding Goodwill)		48,139
Impairment charges		100,412	18,225
WPS Americas [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Goodwill			183,146
Estimated implied fair value			10,866
Impairment charges			172,280
Impairment of Intangible Assets, Indefinite-lived (Excluding Goodwill)			10,568
Indefinite-Lived Trade Names			25,449
Estimated Fair Value Indefinite Lived Tradenames			14,881
Die Cut [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Goodwill, Acquired During Period			0
Goodwill		0	0	31,957
Impairment charges		0	0
IDS APAC [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Goodwill			18,225
Impairment charges			18,225
Property, plant and equipment — net			4,367
Property, Plant, and Equipment, Fair Value Disclosure			1,100
Workplace Safety [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Goodwill, Acquired During Period			0
Goodwill		102,715	100,207	276,941
Impairment charges		0	172,280
Indefinite-lived tradenames and other finite-lived customer relationships [Member] | Global PeopleID [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Net		5,384
Estimated fair value of finite-lived intangible assets		1,448
Finite-lived customer relationships [Member] | Global PeopleID [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Net		88,803
Estimated fair value of finite-lived intangible assets		$ 44,600