Nature of Business [Line Items]

No definition available.

Name:	swm_NatureOfBusinessLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	swm_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Number of Joint Ventures

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	swm_NumberOfJointVentures
Namespace Prefix:	swm_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Number of production location worldwide. The Company has mills in the United States, France, the Philippines, Indonesia, Brazil and Poland.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	swm_NumberOfProductionLocations
Namespace Prefix:	swm_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The percentage of ownership of common stock or equity participation in the investee accounted for under the equity method of accounting.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 323
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-Subparagraph (a)(1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=114001798&loc=d3e33918-111571

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of cumulative effect of the change in accounting principle or new accounting pronouncement on retained earnings or other components of equity or net assets in the statement of financial position as of the beginning of the earliest period presented.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 250
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (b)(3)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109234566&loc=d3e22499-107794

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 250
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109234566&loc=d3e22583-107794

Reference 3: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 250
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109234566&loc=d3e22580-107794

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_NewAccountingPronouncementOrChangeInAccountingPrincipleCumulativeEffectOfChangeOnEquityOrNetAssets1
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of the effect of a change in accounting principle on operating profit or loss.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 250
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109234566&loc=d3e22583-107794

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 250
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (b)(2)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109234566&loc=d3e22499-107794

Reference 3: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 250
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109234566&loc=d3e22580-107794

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_NewAccountingPronouncementOrChangeInAccountingPrincipleEffectOfChangeOnOperatingResults
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The number of countries in which the entity operates as of balance sheet date.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_NumberOfCountriesInWhichEntityOperates
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Number of operating segments. An operating segment is a component of an enterprise: (a) that engages in business activities from which it may earn revenues and incur expenses (including revenues and expenses relating to transactions with other components of the same enterprise), (b) whose operating results are regularly reviewed by the enterprise's chief operating decision maker to make decisions about resources to be allocated to the segment and assess its performance, and (c) for which discrete financial information is available. An operating segment may engage in business activities for which it has yet to earn revenues, for example, start-up operations may be operating segments before earning revenues.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_NumberOfOperatingSegments
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_AdjustmentsForNewAccountingPronouncementsAxis=us-gaap_AccountingStandardsUpdate201409Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_AdjustmentsForNewAccountingPronouncementsAxis=us-gaap_AccountingStandardsUpdate201616Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_AdjustmentsForNewAccountingPronouncementsAxis=us-gaap_AccountingStandardsUpdate201707Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	dei_EntityByLocationAxis=swm_ChinaMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

General (Details) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended
General (Details) $ in Millions	Jun. 30, 2017 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2018 USD ($) country joint_venture segment production_locations	Jun. 30, 2017 USD ($)
Nature of Business [Line Items]
Number of Operating Segments \| segment		2
Cumulative effects of changes in accounting standards		$ 1.7
Number of countries in which entity operates \| country		90
Number of production locations \| production_locations		23
Accounting Standards Update 2014-09 [Member]
Nature of Business [Line Items]
Cumulative effects of changes in accounting standards		$ (0.5)
Accounting Standards Update 2016-16 [Member]
Nature of Business [Line Items]
Cumulative effects of changes in accounting standards		$ 2.2
Accounting Standards Update 2017-07 [Member]
Nature of Business [Line Items]
New Accounting Pronouncement or Change in Accounting Principle, Effect of Change on Operating Results	$ 0.8		$ 1.8
China [Member]
Nature of Business [Line Items]
Equity method investment, ownership percentage		50.00%
Number of joint ventures \| joint_venture		2