Fair Value Measurements - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Jul. 31, 2015	Jul. 31, 2014	Jul. 31, 2013
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Goodwill	$ 433,199	$ 515,004	$ 617,236
Goodwill, Impairment Loss	37,112	100,412
Other Intangible Assets, Net	26,194
Other Intangible Assets, Estimated Fair Value	19,543
Impairment of Other Intangible Assets (Excluding Goodwill)	6,651
Property, Plant and Equipment, Net	111,214	134,171
Loss on Write-Down of Assets Held for Sale	0	0	15,658	[1]
WPS APAC [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Goodwill	26,246
WPS Americas [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Goodwill	10,866		183,146
Goodwill, Estimated Fair Value			10,866
Goodwill, Impairment Loss			172,280
Indefinite-Lived Trade Names			25,449
Indefinite Lived Tradenames, Estimated Fair Value			14,881
Impairment of Intangible Assets, Indefinite-lived (Excluding Goodwill)			10,568
Global PeopleID [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Goodwill		193,689
Goodwill, Estimated Fair Value		93,277
Goodwill, Impairment Loss		100
Identification Solutions
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Goodwill	382,786	412,289	517,029
Goodwill, Impairment Loss	0	100,412
Impairment of Other Intangible Assets (Excluding Goodwill)		48,139
Workplace Safety
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Goodwill	50,413	102,715	100,207
Goodwill, Impairment Loss	$ 37,112	$ 0
IDS APAC [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Goodwill			18,225
Goodwill, Impairment Loss			18,225
Property, Plant and Equipment, Net			4,367
Property, Plant, and Equipment, Estimated Fair Value			$ 1,100

[1] The Company recorded a $15.7 million loss to write-down the Die-Cut business to its estimated fair value less costs to sell in the three months ended April 30, 2013.