Segment Information (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended										12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012		Sep. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2012	Mar. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011		Sep. 30, 2011	Jun. 30, 2011	Mar. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2012 reporting_segments business_groups	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010		Dec. 31, 2009
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Long-Lived Assets	$ 3,668,156					$ 3,659,149					$ 3,668,156	$ 3,659,149	$ 3,936,430
Depreciation and amortization											255,556	272,142	303,653
Assets	7,859,891					8,147,104					7,859,891	8,147,104	8,444,023
Segment reporting information profit (loss)
Number of Reportable Segments											7
Number of Business Groups											2
Revenue	1,287,307		1,183,216	1,213,356	1,220,136	1,305,155		1,262,757	1,275,500	1,279,184	4,904,015	5,122,596	5,260,356
EBIT	1,015,510					1,102,875					1,138,563
Reconciling items:
Cash and cash equivalents	913,276					856,238					913,276	856,238	484,363		412,737
Short-term investments	36,611					12,971					36,611	12,971	30,609
Capital expenditures											176,586	155,980	119,768
Interest, net											(188,386)	(197,266)	(201,324)
Corporate and other expenses	(199,394)					(198,020)							(199,089)
Restructuring charges and asset impairments											23,117	136,548	181,961
Goodwill impairment	18,315					130,150					0	(84,500)	0
Income from continuing operations before income taxes	147,768		137,701	158,115	161,029	22,999		160,942	162,563	140,037	604,613	486,541	556,189
United States
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Long-Lived Assets	2,831,810					2,749,101					2,831,810	2,749,101	2,939,467
Segment reporting information profit (loss)
Revenue											3,357,274	3,475,473	3,672,842
Outside United States
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Long-Lived Assets	836,346					910,048					836,346	910,048	996,963
Segment reporting information profit (loss)
Revenue											1,546,741	1,647,123	1,587,514
Total for reportable segments
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Depreciation and amortization											238,771	257,486	287,038
Assets	6,631,273					6,955,935					6,631,273	6,955,935	7,599,424
Reconciling items:
Capital expenditures											175,355	141,885	106,447
Small & Medium Business Solutions
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Depreciation and amortization											131,761	153,213	170,301
Assets	3,973,121					4,139,794					3,973,121	4,139,794	4,451,295
Segment reporting information profit (loss)
Revenue											2,494,589	2,668,614	2,775,436
EBIT											767,644	826,600	834,103
Reconciling items:
Capital expenditures											108,153	71,213	68,730
Goodwill impairment	0					0							0
North America Mailing
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Depreciation and amortization											104,957	123,252	133,877
Assets	3,101,959					3,350,457					3,101,959	3,350,457	3,488,322
Segment reporting information profit (loss)
Revenue	1,818,952					1,961,198					2,100,677
EBIT	688,665					727,999					755,153
Reconciling items:
Capital expenditures											78,511	57,308	67,731
Goodwill impairment	0					0							0
International Mailing
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Depreciation and amortization											26,804	29,961	36,424
Assets	871,162					789,337					871,162	789,337	962,973
Segment reporting information profit (loss)
Revenue	675,637					707,416					674,759
EBIT	78,979					98,601					78,950
Reconciling items:
Capital expenditures											29,642	13,905	999
Goodwill impairment	0					0							0
Enterprise Business Solutions
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Depreciation and amortization											107,010	104,273	116,737
Assets	2,658,152					2,816,141					2,658,152	2,816,141	3,148,129
Segment reporting information profit (loss)
Revenue											2,409,426	2,453,982	2,484,920
EBIT											247,866	276,275	304,460
Reconciling items:
Capital expenditures											67,202	70,672	37,717
Goodwill impairment	18,315					130,150							0
Production Mail
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Depreciation and amortization											13,344	12,139	12,974
Assets	408,657					504,939					408,657	504,939	547,002
Segment reporting information profit (loss)
Revenue	512,109					544,483					561,447
EBIT	25,644					32,562					60,896
Reconciling items:
Capital expenditures											12,694	11,326	8,326
Goodwill impairment	0					0							0
Software
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Depreciation and amortization											24,324	34,389	36,962
Assets	929,509					932,389					929,509	932,389	1,058,057
Segment reporting information profit (loss)
Revenue	393,380					407,402					374,750
EBIT	37,958					38,182					40,046
Reconciling items:
Capital expenditures											1,550	5,142	4,215
Goodwill impairment	0					0							0
Management Services
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Depreciation and amortization											33,008	27,416	33,398
Assets	700,972					688,766					700,972	688,766	799,290
Segment reporting information profit (loss)
Revenue	920,958					948,891					999,288
EBIT	55,198					76,321					92,671
Reconciling items:
Capital expenditures											32,846	18,853	17,307
Goodwill impairment	0					(84,500)							0
Mail Services
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Depreciation and amortization											32,446	26,636	27,924
Assets	397,745					454,585					397,745	454,585	512,785
Segment reporting information profit (loss)
Revenue	445,093					411,634					407,897
EBIT	101,005					103,026					84,714
Reconciling items:
Capital expenditures											17,676	34,987	7,243
Goodwill impairment	(18,315)	[1]				(45,650)	[1]						0	[1]
Marketing Services
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Depreciation and amortization											3,888	3,693	5,479
Assets	221,269					235,462					221,269	235,462	230,995
Segment reporting information profit (loss)
Revenue	137,886					141,572					141,538
EBIT	28,061					26,184					26,133
Reconciling items:
Capital expenditures											2,436	364	626
Goodwill impairment	0					0							0
Other corporate assets
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Depreciation and amortization											16,785	14,656	16,615
Assets	278,731					321,960					278,731	321,960	329,627
Reconciling items:
Capital expenditures											$ 1,231	$ 14,095	$ 13,321

[1] Impairment charges for the Mail Services segment relate to IMS and have been classified as discontinued operations in the Consolidated Statements of Income.