General	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2016
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
General	General The accompanying unaudited interim Consolidated Financial Statements of Safeguard Scientifics, Inc. (“Safeguard” or the “Company”) were prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America and the interim financial statement rules and regulations of the SEC. In the opinion of management, these statements include all adjustments (consisting only of normal recurring adjustments) necessary for a fair presentation of the Consolidated Financial Statements. The interim operating results are not necessarily indicative of the results for a full year or for any interim period. Certain information and note disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America have been condensed or omitted pursuant to such rules and regulations relating to interim financial statements. The Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Form 10-Q should be read in conjunction with Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations included elsewhere in this Form 10-Q and with the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes thereto included in the Company’s 2015 Annual Report on Form 10-K. Retrospective Adoption of Accounting Guidance In the first quarter of 2016, the Company adopted accounting guidance that required retrospective adjustment to previously issued financial statements. All prior period data presented in the Company's Consolidated Financial Statements reflect the retrospective adoption of this guidance. In April 2015, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") No. 2015-03, Interest - Imputation of Interest (Subtopic 835-30): Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs. The ASU specifies that debt issuance costs related to a note shall be reported in the balance sheet as a direct reduction from the face amount of the note. The Company adopted the ASU in the first quarter of 2016. As a result of the adoption of ASU No. 2015-03, the Company reclassified its capitalized debt issuance costs previously recorded within Other assets to a contra-liability reducing Convertible senior debentures on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. The reclassification was $0.8 million as of December 31, 2015. The ASU had no effect on the Company's results of operations or liquidity.

General

The accompanying unaudited interim Consolidated Financial Statements of Safeguard Scientifics, Inc. (“Safeguard” or the “Company”) were prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America and the interim financial statement rules and regulations of the SEC. In the opinion of management, these statements include all adjustments (consisting only of normal recurring adjustments) necessary for a fair presentation of the Consolidated Financial Statements. The interim operating results are not necessarily indicative of the results for a full year or for any interim period. Certain information and note disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America have been condensed or omitted pursuant to such rules and regulations relating to interim financial statements. The Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Form 10-Q should be read in conjunction with Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations included elsewhere in this Form 10-Q and with the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes thereto included in the Company’s 2015 Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Retrospective Adoption of Accounting Guidance

In the first quarter of 2016, the Company adopted accounting guidance that required retrospective adjustment to previously issued financial statements. All prior period data presented in the Company's Consolidated Financial Statements reflect the retrospective adoption of this guidance.

In April 2015, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") No. 2015-03, Interest - Imputation of Interest (Subtopic 835-30): Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs. The ASU specifies that debt issuance costs related to a note shall be reported in the balance sheet as a direct reduction from the face amount of the note. The Company adopted the ASU in the first quarter of 2016. As a result of the adoption of ASU No. 2015-03, the Company reclassified its capitalized debt issuance costs previously recorded within Other assets to a contra-liability reducing Convertible senior debentures on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. The reclassification was $0.8 million as of December 31, 2015. The ASU had no effect on the Company's results of operations or liquidity.