General	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2012
Nature of Business [Abstract]
General	General Nature of Business Schweitzer-Mauduit International, Inc., or SWM or the Company, is a multinational diversified producer of premium specialty papers headquartered in the United States of America. The Company manufactures and sells paper and reconstituted tobacco products to the tobacco industry as well as specialized paper products for use in other applications. The Company’s tobacco-related products include cigarette, plug wrap and base tipping papers, or Cigarette Papers, used to wrap various parts of a cigarette, reconstituted tobacco leaf, or RTL, which is used as a blend with virgin tobacco in cigarettes and reconstituted tobacco wrappers and binders for machine-made cigars. These products are sold directly to the major tobacco companies or their designated converters in the Americas, Europe, Asia and elsewhere. Non-tobacco industry products are a diverse mix of products, certain of which represent commodity paper grades produced to maximize machine operations. The Company is a manufacturer of high porosity papers, which are used in manufacturing ventilated cigarettes, banded and print banded papers for the production of lower ignition propensity, or LIP, cigarettes and the leading independent producer of RTL used in producing blended cigarettes. The Company conducts business in over 90 countries and currently operates 11 production locations worldwide, with mills in the United States, France, the Philippines, Indonesia, Brazil and Poland. The Company also has a 50% equity interest in two joint ventures in China. Basis of Presentation The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto have been prepared in accordance with the instructions of Form 10-Q and Rule 10-01 of Regulation S-X of the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, and do not include all of the information and disclosures required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America, or U.S. GAAP. However, such information reflects all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring adjustments) which are, in the opinion of management, necessary for a fair statement of results for the interim periods including the results of a business reclassified as a discontinued operation which is more fully described in Note 3. Discontinued Operations. The results of operations are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full year. The unaudited consolidated financial statements included herein should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and the notes included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011, as filed with the SEC on February 24, 2012. Two-for-one Stock Split On August 1, 2012, the Company announced a two-for-one stock split of its common stock effected as a stock dividend. The stock dividend was paid on August 21, 2012 to shareholders of record on August 13, 2012. Treasury shares participated in the split. To fulfill the 18,799,861 shares needed for the stock dividend, 6,556,110 shares resulting from the split of treasury shares were reissued and distributed. To facilitate the split, the Company also issued 12,243,751 shares, net of the treasury share reissuance. The par value of common stock remains unchanged at $0.10 per share; accordingly, $1.2 million was transferred from retained earnings to common stock for the newly issued shares. All shares, per share amounts and related equity balances in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q have been adjusted for all periods presented for the stock split. Principles of Consolidation The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and wholly-owned, majority-owned and controlled subsidiaries. The Company’s share of the net income of its 50% owned joint ventures in China are included in the consolidated statements of income as income from equity affiliates. Intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated. Use of Estimates The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, revenues and expenses and related disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. Estimates are used for, but not limited to, inventory valuation, useful lives, fair values, sales returns, receivables valuation, pension, postretirement and other benefits, restructuring and impairment, taxes and contingencies. Actual results could differ materially from those estimates. Recent Accounting Pronouncements The Company has adopted the Financial Accounting Standards Board's Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2011-04 which updates disclosure requirements for fair value measurements. The ASU amends and clarifies definitions and requirements to determine fair value and certain disclosure requirements. The adoption of this guidance as of January 1, 2012 did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.

General

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2012

Nature of Business

Schweitzer-Mauduit International, Inc., or SWM or the Company, is a multinational diversified producer of premium specialty papers headquartered in the United States of America. The Company manufactures and sells paper and reconstituted tobacco products to the tobacco industry as well as specialized paper products for use in other applications. The Company’s tobacco-related products include cigarette, plug wrap and base tipping papers, or Cigarette Papers, used to wrap various parts of a cigarette, reconstituted tobacco leaf, or RTL, which is used as a blend with virgin tobacco in cigarettes and reconstituted tobacco wrappers and binders for machine-made cigars. These products are sold directly to the major tobacco companies or their designated converters in the Americas, Europe, Asia and elsewhere. Non-tobacco industry products are a diverse mix of products, certain of which represent commodity paper grades produced to maximize machine operations.

The Company is a manufacturer of high porosity papers, which are used in manufacturing ventilated cigarettes, banded and print banded papers for the production of lower ignition propensity, or LIP, cigarettes and the leading independent producer of RTL used in producing blended cigarettes. The Company conducts business in over 90 countries and currently operates 11 production locations worldwide, with mills in the United States, France, the Philippines, Indonesia, Brazil and Poland. The Company also has a 50% equity interest in two joint ventures in China.

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto have been prepared in accordance with the instructions of Form 10-Q and Rule 10-01 of Regulation S-X of the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, and do not include all of the information and disclosures required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America, or U.S. GAAP. However, such information reflects all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring adjustments) which are, in the opinion of management, necessary for a fair statement of results for the interim periods including the results of a business reclassified as a discontinued operation which is more fully described in Note 3. Discontinued Operations.

The results of operations are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full year. The unaudited consolidated financial statements included herein should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and the notes included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011, as filed with the SEC on February 24, 2012.

Two-for-one Stock Split

On August 1, 2012, the Company announced a two-for-one stock split of its common stock effected as a stock dividend. The stock dividend was paid on August 21, 2012 to shareholders of record on August 13, 2012. Treasury shares participated in the split. To fulfill the 18,799,861 shares needed for the stock dividend, 6,556,110 shares resulting from the split of treasury shares were reissued and distributed. To facilitate the split, the Company also issued 12,243,751 shares, net of the treasury share reissuance. The par value of common stock remains unchanged at $0.10 per share; accordingly, $1.2 million was transferred from retained earnings to common stock for the newly issued shares. All shares, per share amounts and related equity balances in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q have been adjusted for all periods presented for the stock split.

Principles of Consolidation

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and wholly-owned, majority-owned and controlled subsidiaries. The Company’s share of the net income of its 50% owned joint ventures in China are included in the consolidated statements of income as income from equity affiliates. Intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, revenues and expenses and related disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. Estimates are used for, but not limited to, inventory valuation, useful lives, fair values, sales returns, receivables valuation, pension, postretirement and other benefits, restructuring and impairment, taxes and contingencies. Actual results could differ materially from those estimates.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

The Company has adopted the Financial Accounting Standards Board's Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2011-04 which updates disclosure requirements for fair value measurements. The ASU amends and clarifies definitions and requirements to determine fair value and certain disclosure requirements. The adoption of this guidance as of January 1, 2012 did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.