Debt (Details) (USD $)	1 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2014
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt	$ 385,400,000us-gaap_LongTermDebt	$ 440,100,000us-gaap_LongTermDebt
Amount of long term debt covered by interest rate swaps		50,000,000
French Employee Profit Sharing [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate at period end	2.43%	2.28%
Long-term debt	15,800,000	14,600,000
Bank Overdrafts [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate at period end	0.74%	0.55%
Bank overdraft facilities	28,300,000	30,800,000
Long-term debt	1,700,000	400,000
Revolving Credit Agreement - U.S. dollar borrowings [Member] \| Line of Credit [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Term	5 years
Maximum borrowings under credit facility	500,000,000
Credit facility accordion feature	200,000,000
Covenant provisions	the Company to maintain (a) a maximum net debt to EBITDA ratio of 3.00 and (b) a minimum interest coverage ratio of 3.50. The Company was in compliance with all of its covenants under the Credit Agreement at December 31, 2014.
Minimum margin on borrowings (in hundredths)	1.25%
Maximum margin on borrowings (in hundredths)	2.00%
Minimum annual commitment fees on undrawn amounts (in hundredths)	0.20%
Maximum annual commitment fees on undrawn amounts (in hundredths)	0.30%
Applicable interest rate (in hundredths)		1.48%
Long-term debt	367,700,000	354,000,000
Revolving Credit Agreement - U.S. dollar borrowings [Member] \| Line of Credit [Member] \| Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
EBITDA ratio	3.0
Revolving Credit Agreement - U.S. dollar borrowings [Member] \| Line of Credit [Member] \| Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate coverage	3.5
Revolving Credit Agreement - U.S. dollar borrowings [Member] \| Line of Credit, Sublimit In Euro [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maximum borrowings under credit facility		300,000,000
Revolving Credit Agreement - euro borrowings [Member] \| Line of Credit [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Applicable interest rate (in hundredths)		1.55%
Long-term debt	$ 0	$ 71,100,000

The amount of variable-rate long-term debt covered by interest which convert the interest rate to a fixed rate.

No definition available.

Name:	swm_AmountOfLongTermDebtCoveredByInterestRateSwaps
Namespace Prefix:	swm_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Bank Overdraft Facilities

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	swm_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

A type of option that a company can buy that gives the company the right to increase its line of credit with a lender

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	swm_CreditFacilityAccordionFeature
Namespace Prefix:	swm_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The maximum percentage points added to the reference rate to compute the variable rate on the debt instrument. The reference rate for US dollar borrowings is the London Interbank Offered Rate, or LIBOR. The reference rate for euro borrowings is the Euro Interbank Offered Rate.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	swm_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The minimum percentage points added to the reference rate to compute the variable rate on the debt instrument. The reference rate for US dollar borrowings is the London Interbank Offered Rate, or LIBOR. The reference rate for euro borrowings is the Euro Interbank Offered Rate.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	swm_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Debt Instrument, Covenant, EBITDA Ratio

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	swm_
Data Type:	xbrli:pureItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Debt Instrument, Covenant, Interest Rate Coverage

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	swm_
Data Type:	xbrli:pureItemType
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Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The maximum fee, expressed as a percentage of the line of credit facility, for available but unused credit capacity under the credit facility.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	swm_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The minimum fee, expressed as a percentage of the line of credit facility, for available but unused credit capacity under the credit facility.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	swm_LineOfCreditFacilityUnusedCapacityCommitmentFeePercentageMinimum
Namespace Prefix:	swm_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Effective interest rate for the funds borrowed under the debt agreement considering interest compounding and original issue discount or premium.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 835

-SubTopic 30

-Section 45

-Paragraph 2

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6451184&loc=d3e28551-108399

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 02

-Paragraph 22

-Article 5

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 210

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.22(a)(1))

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
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- Details

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- Definition

Period of time between issuance and maturity of debt instrument, in PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentTerm
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Description of the conditions for borrowing under the credit facility including the nature of any restrictions.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 210

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.19(b),22(b))

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 02

-Paragraph 19, 22

-Article 5

+ Details

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Balance Type:	na
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- Definition

The effective interest rate at the end of the reporting period.

+ References

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Maximum borrowing capacity under the credit facility without consideration of any current restrictions on the amount that could be borrowed or the amounts currently outstanding under the facility.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityMaximumBorrowingCapacity
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Carrying amount of long-term debt, net of unamortized discount or premium, including current and noncurrent amounts. Includes, but not limited to, notes payable, bonds payable, debentures, mortgage loans and commercial paper. Excludes capital lease obligations.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 03

-Paragraph 16

-Article 7

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 210

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.22)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 942

-SubTopic 210

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03.16)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6876686&loc=d3e534808-122878

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 03

-Paragraph 16

-Article 9

Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 02

-Paragraph 20, 22

-Article 5

Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 944

-SubTopic 210

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03.16)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879938&loc=d3e572229-122910

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=swm_EuroRevolverMember
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- Details

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- Details

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- Details

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