Condensed Consolidating Financial Information (Condensed Consolidating Statement of Comprehensive Income) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended																12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015		Sep. 30, 2015		Jun. 30, 2015		Mar. 31, 2015		Dec. 31, 2014		Sep. 30, 2014		Jun. 30, 2014		Mar. 31, 2014		Dec. 31, 2015		Dec. 31, 2014		Dec. 31, 2013
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	$ 412.1	[1]	$ 413.6	[1]	$ 394.7	[1]	$ 290.0	[1]	$ 459.9	[1]	$ 472.2	[1]	$ 427.7	[1]	$ 329.4	[1]	$ 1,510.4		$ 1,689.2		$ 1,765.1
Cost of products sold																	1,032.0		1,159.3		1,217.2
Gross profit	137.8		133.7		126.7		80.2		156.9		153.3		131.2		88.5		478.4		529.9		547.9
Advertising, selling, general and administrative expenses																	295.7		328.6		347.3
Amortization of intangibles																	19.6		22.2		24.7
Restructuring (credits) charges																	(0.4)		5.5		30.1
Operating income	56.9		54.8		49.2		2.6		68.5		61.8		43.9		(0.6)		163.5	[2]	173.6	[2]	145.8	[2]
Expense (income) from affiliates																	0.0		0.0		0.0
Interest expense																	44.5		49.5		59.0
Interest income																	(6.6)		(5.6)		(4.3)
Equity in earnings of joint ventures																	(7.9)		(8.1)		(8.2)
Other expense (income), net																	2.1		0.8		7.6
Income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes and earnings of wholly owned subsidiaries																	131.4		137.0		91.7
Income tax expense (benefit)																	45.5		45.4		14.4
Income from continuing operations																	85.9		91.6		77.3
Loss from discontinued operations, net of income taxes																	0.0		0.0		(0.2)
Income (loss) before earnings of wholly owned subsidiaries																	85.9		91.6		77.1
Earnings of wholly owned subsidiaries																	0.0		0.0		0.0
Net income	$ 31.4		$ 32.6		$ 27.7		$ (5.8)		$ 43.9		$ 34.2		$ 21.3		$ (7.8)		85.9		91.6		77.1
Comprehensive income																	(50.7)		(15.4)		47.6
Reportable Legal Entities | Parent
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales																	0.0		0.0		0.0
Cost of products sold																	0.0		0.0		0.0
Gross profit																	0.0		0.0		0.0
Advertising, selling, general and administrative expenses																	42.8		45.4		40.6
Amortization of intangibles																	0.1		0.1		0.1
Restructuring (credits) charges																	0.0		0.0		0.5
Operating income																	(42.9)		(45.5)		(41.2)
Expense (income) from affiliates																	(1.2)		(1.5)		(1.5)
Interest expense																	45.4		49.9		58.6
Interest income																	0.0		0.0		0.0
Equity in earnings of joint ventures																	0.0		0.0		0.0
Other expense (income), net																	0.7		0.4		4.8
Income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes and earnings of wholly owned subsidiaries																	(87.8)		(94.3)		(103.1)
Income tax expense (benefit)																	25.2		18.2		(1.5)
Income from continuing operations																	(113.0)		(112.5)		(101.6)
Loss from discontinued operations, net of income taxes																	0.0		0.0		0.0
Income (loss) before earnings of wholly owned subsidiaries																	(113.0)		(112.5)		(101.6)
Earnings of wholly owned subsidiaries																	198.9		204.1		178.7
Net income																	85.9		91.6		77.1
Comprehensive income																	(50.7)		(15.4)		47.6
Reportable Legal Entities | Guarantors
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales																	948.5		969.2		971.2
Cost of products sold																	645.0		673.4		669.8
Gross profit																	303.5		295.8		301.4
Advertising, selling, general and administrative expenses																	154.2		157.1		183.5
Amortization of intangibles																	16.0		17.7		19.7
Restructuring (credits) charges																	(0.3)		4.6		14.3
Operating income																	133.6		116.4		83.9
Expense (income) from affiliates																	(17.1)		(20.7)		(21.7)
Interest expense																	0.0		0.0		0.0
Interest income																	0.0		(0.1)		(0.1)
Equity in earnings of joint ventures																	0.0		0.0		0.0
Other expense (income), net																	2.0		(0.7)		0.8
Income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes and earnings of wholly owned subsidiaries																	148.7		137.9		104.9
Income tax expense (benefit)																	0.0		0.0		0.0
Income from continuing operations																	148.7		137.9		104.9
Loss from discontinued operations, net of income taxes																	0.0		0.0		(0.2)
Income (loss) before earnings of wholly owned subsidiaries																	148.7		137.9		104.7
Earnings of wholly owned subsidiaries																	47.3		62.7		72.6
Net income																	196.0		200.6		177.3
Comprehensive income																	192.4		181.0		200.6
Reportable Legal Entities | Non-Guarantors
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales																	610.3		772.0		814.0
Cost of products sold																	435.4		537.9		567.5
Gross profit																	174.9		234.1		246.5
Advertising, selling, general and administrative expenses																	98.7		126.1		123.2
Amortization of intangibles																	3.5		4.4		4.9
Restructuring (credits) charges																	(0.1)		0.9		15.3
Operating income																	72.8		102.7		103.1
Expense (income) from affiliates																	18.3		22.2		23.2
Interest expense																	(0.9)		(0.4)		0.4
Interest income																	(6.6)		(5.5)		(4.2)
Equity in earnings of joint ventures																	(7.9)		(8.1)		(8.2)
Other expense (income), net																	(0.6)		1.1		2.0
Income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes and earnings of wholly owned subsidiaries																	70.5		93.4		89.9
Income tax expense (benefit)																	20.3		27.2		15.9
Income from continuing operations																	50.2		66.2		74.0
Loss from discontinued operations, net of income taxes																	0.0		0.0		0.0
Income (loss) before earnings of wholly owned subsidiaries																	50.2		66.2		74.0
Earnings of wholly owned subsidiaries																	0.0		0.0		0.0
Net income																	50.2		66.2		74.0
Comprehensive income																	(72.6)		(17.1)		26.5
Eliminations
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales																	(48.4)		(52.0)		(20.1)
Cost of products sold																	(48.4)		(52.0)		(20.1)
Gross profit																	0.0		0.0		0.0
Advertising, selling, general and administrative expenses																	0.0		0.0		0.0
Amortization of intangibles																	0.0		0.0		0.0
Restructuring (credits) charges																	0.0		0.0		0.0
Operating income																	0.0		0.0		0.0
Expense (income) from affiliates																	0.0		0.0		0.0
Interest expense																	0.0		0.0		0.0
Interest income																	0.0		0.0		0.0
Equity in earnings of joint ventures																	0.0		0.0		0.0
Other expense (income), net																	0.0		0.0		0.0
Income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes and earnings of wholly owned subsidiaries																	0.0		0.0		0.0
Income tax expense (benefit)																	0.0		0.0		0.0
Income from continuing operations																	0.0		0.0		0.0
Loss from discontinued operations, net of income taxes																	0.0		0.0		0.0
Income (loss) before earnings of wholly owned subsidiaries																	0.0		0.0		0.0
Earnings of wholly owned subsidiaries																	(246.2)		(266.8)		(251.3)
Net income																	(246.2)		(266.8)		(251.3)
Comprehensive income																	$ (119.8)		$ (163.9)		$ (227.1)

[1] Historically, our business has experienced higher sales and earnings in the third and fourth quarters of the calendar year. Two principal factors contribute to this seasonality: (1) the office products industry, its customers and ACCO Brands specifically are major suppliers of products related to the "back-to-school" season, which occurs principally from June through September for our North American business and from November through February for our Australian and Brazilian businesses; and (2) several products we sell lend themselves to calendar year-end purchase timing, including AT-A-GLANCE® and Day-Timer® planners, paper organization and storage products (including bindery) and Kensington computer accessories, which have higher sales in the fourth quarter driven by traditionally strong fourth-quarter sales of personal computers and tablets.

[2] Operating income as presented in the segment table above is defined as i) net sales; ii) less cost of products sold; iii) less advertising, selling, general and administrative expenses; iv) less amortization of intangibles; and v) less restructuring charges.