Consolidated Statements of Equity and Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Total	Common Stock [Member]	Additional Paid-in Capital [Member]	Retained Earnings Accumulated (Deficit) [Member]	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Unrealized Investment Gains (Losses) [Member]	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Cash Flow Hedges [Member]	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Foreign Currency Translation [Member]	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) Other [Member]	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) Total [Member]	Total Photronics, Inc. [Member]	Non-Controlling Interest [Member]
Balance at Nov. 02, 2008	$ 432,398	$ 417	$ 384,502	$ 15,364	$ (62)	$ (1,652)	$ (15,520)	$ (267)	$ (17,501)	$ 382,782	$ 49,616
Balance (in shares) at Nov. 02, 2008		41,712
Comprehensive income (loss):
Net (loss) income	(41,427)	0	0	(41,910)	0	0	0	0	0	(41,910)	483
Unrealized holding income (losses) reclassification adjustment	101	0	0	0	62	0	0	0	62	62	39
Amortization of cash flow hedges	576	0	0	0	0	576	0	0	576	576	0
Foreign currency translation adjustments	11,054	0	0	0	0	0	10,712	0	10,712	10,712	342
Other	(339)	0	0	0	0	0	0	(238)	(238)	(238)	(101)
Total comprehensive (loss) income	(30,035)									(30,798)	763
Subsidiary dividend	(438)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	(438)
Sale of common stock through employee stock option and purchase plan (in shares)		28
Sale of common stock through employee stock option and purchase plan	117	0	117	0	0	0	0	0	0	117	0
Restricted stock awards vestings and expense (in shares)		121
Restricted stock awards vestings and expense	810	1	809	0	0	0	0	0	0	810	0
Share-based compensation expense	1,326	0	1,326	0	0	0	0	0	0	1,326	0
Common stock issued in public offering (net) (in shares)		11,084
Common stock issued in public offering (net)	43,097	111	42,986	0	0	0	0	0	0	43,097	0
Common stock warrants issued	2,081	0	2,081	0	0	0	0	0	0	2,081	0
Common stock warrants exercised (in shares)		66
Common stock warrants exercised	340	1	339	0	0	0	0	0	0	340	0
Balance at Nov. 01, 2009	449,696	530	432,160	(26,546)	0	(1,076)	(4,808)	(505)	(6,389)	399,755	49,941
Balance (in shares) at Nov. 01, 2009		53,011
Comprehensive income (loss):
Net (loss) income	25,082	0	0	23,922	0	0	0	0	0	23,922	1,160
Unrealized holding losses	209				147				147	147	62
Unrealized holding income (losses) reclassification adjustment	(209)	0	0	0	(147)	0	0	0	(147)	(147)	(62)
Amortization of cash flow hedges	129	0	0	0	0	129	0	0	129	129	0
Foreign currency translation adjustments	16,574	0	0	0	0	0	13,451	0	13,451	13,451	3,123
OCI reclassification	0	0	0	0	0	0	(214)	214	0	0	0
Other	(211)	0	0	0	0	0	0	(129)	(129)	(129)	(82)
Total comprehensive (loss) income	41,574									37,373	4,201
Sale of common stock through employee stock option and purchase plan (in shares)		242
Sale of common stock through employee stock option and purchase plan	522	2	520	0	0	0	0	0	0	522	0
Restricted stock awards vestings and expense (in shares)		58
Restricted stock awards vestings and expense	510	1	509	0	0	0	0	0	0	510	0
Share-based compensation expense	1,374	0	1,374	0	0	0	0	0	0	1,374	0
Common stock warrants exercised (in shares)		468
Common stock warrants exercised	2,240	5	2,235	0	0	0	0	0	0	2,240	0
Common stock issuance costs	27	0	27	0	0	0	0	0	0	27	0
Balance at Oct. 31, 2010	495,943	538	436,825	(2,624)	0	(947)	8,429	(420)	7,062	441,801	54,142
Balance (in shares) at Oct. 31, 2010	53,779	53,779
Comprehensive income (loss):
Net (loss) income	20,208	0	0	16,229	0	0	0	0	0	16,229	3,979
Amortization of cash flow hedges	128	0	0	0	0	128	0	0	128	128	0
Foreign currency translation adjustments	3,267	0	0	0	0	0	3,040	0	3,040	3,040	227
Other	(35)	0	0	0	0	0	0	(25)	(25)	(25)	(10)
Total comprehensive (loss) income	23,568									19,372	4,196
Common stock issued to extinguish debt (in shares)		5,229
Common stock issued to extinguish debt	45,637	52	45,585	0	0	0	0	0	0	45,637	0
Sale of common stock through employee stock option and purchase plan (in shares)		440
Sale of common stock through employee stock option and purchase plan	856	5	851	0	0	0	0	0	0	856	0
Restricted stock awards vestings and expense (in shares)		81
Restricted stock awards vestings and expense	1,036	1	1,035	0	0	0	0	0	0	1,036	0
Share-based compensation expense	1,422	0	1,422	0	0	0	0	0	0	1,422	0
Common stock warrants exercised (in shares)		122
Common stock warrants exercised	1,158	1	1,157	0	0	0	0	0	0	1,158	0
Repurchase of common stock by subsidiary	(9,864)	0	(201)	0	0	0	0	(34)	(34)	(235)	(9,629)
Balance at Oct. 30, 2011	$ 559,756	$ 597	$ 486,674	$ 13,605	$ 0	$ (819)	$ 11,469	$ (479)	$ 10,171	$ 511,047	$ 48,709
Balance (in shares) at Oct. 30, 2011	59,651	59,651