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Acquisition - Additional Information (Detail) (Miltope's Ruggedized Printer Product Line Operation [Member], USD $) | 12 Months Ended
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Jan. 31, 2015 | Jan. 31, 2014
Miltope's Ruggedized Printer Product Line Operation [Member] |  |
Business Acquisition [Line Items] |  |
Completion date of acquisition | Jan. 22, 2014 |
Purchase price of the acquisition |  | $ 6,732,000 us-gaap_BusinessCombinationConsiderationTransferred1 / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = alot_MiltopeRuggedizedPrinterProductLineOperationMember
Amount held in escrow related to business acquisition |  | 500,000 alot_CashHeldInEscrowRelatedToBusinessAcquisition / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = alot_MiltopeRuggedizedPrinterProductLineOperationMember
Duration of escrow deposits |  | 12 months
General and administrative expenses |  | 90,000 us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionCostOfAcquiredEntityTransactionCosts / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = alot_MiltopeRuggedizedPrinterProductLineOperationMember
Goodwill | 196,000 us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionPurchasePriceAllocationGoodwillExpectedTaxDeductibleAmount / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = alot_MiltopeRuggedizedPrinterProductLineOperationMember |
Amortization expense | $ 702,000 us-gaap_AmortizationOfIntangibleAssets / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = alot_MiltopeRuggedizedPrinterProductLineOperationMember |

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- Definition Cash held in escrow in regards to purchase of business to protect Astro-Med Inc in case it is determined that there was some breach of representation or warranty. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition The aggregate expense charged against earnings to allocate the cost of intangible assets (nonphysical assets not used in production) in a systematic and rational manner to the periods expected to benefit from such assets. As a noncash expense, this element is added back to net income when calculating cash provided by or used in operations using the indirect method. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 230 -SubTopic 10 -Section 45 -Paragraph 28 -Subparagraph (b) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=31042434&loc=d3e3602-108585 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 350 -SubTopic 30 -Section 45 -Paragraph 2 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6388964&loc=d3e16225-109274 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 350 -SubTopic 30 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -Subparagraph (a)(2) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26713463&loc=d3e16323-109275 + Details
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- Definition Date when the acquirer obtains control of the acquiree, in CCYY-MM-DD format. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 805 -SubTopic 10 -Section 25 -Paragraph 6 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=34752592&loc=d3e845-128460 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Glossary Acquisition Date -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6919109 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 805 -SubTopic 10 -Section 25 -Paragraph 7 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=34752592&loc=d3e848-128460 Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 805 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -Subparagraph (b) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=25497992&loc=d3e1392-128463 + Details
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- Definition The amount of goodwill arising from a business combination that is expected to be deductible for tax purposes. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 805 -SubTopic 30 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (d) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35744584&loc=d3e6927-128479 + Details
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- Definition Amount of consideration transferred, consisting of acquisition-date fair value of assets transferred by the acquirer, liabilities incurred by the acquirer, and equity interest issued by the acquirer. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 805 -SubTopic 30 -Section 30 -Paragraph 7 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6911251&loc=d3e6578-128477 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 805 -SubTopic 30 -Section 30 -Paragraph 8 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6911251&loc=d3e6613-128477 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 805 -SubTopic 30 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (b) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35744584&loc=d3e6927-128479 + Details
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