Segment Information (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended										12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013		Sep. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2013	Mar. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012		Sep. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2012	Mar. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011		Dec. 31, 2010
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Depreciation and amortization											$ 211,243	$ 255,556	$ 272,142
Long-Lived Assets	2,991,823					3,668,156					2,991,823	3,668,156	3,659,149
Assets	6,772,708					7,859,891					6,772,708	7,859,891	8,147,104
Segment reporting information profit (loss)
Revenue	1,031,187		938,786	970,416	929,012	1,015,516		949,789	974,658	975,101	3,869,401	3,915,064	4,125,341
EBIT	927,987					957,468							1,021,196
Reconciling items:
Cash and cash equivalents	907,806					913,276					907,806	913,276	856,238		484,363
Short-term investments	31,128					36,611					31,128	36,611	12,971
Capital expenditures											137,512	176,586	155,980
Corporate and other expenses	217,463					216,456							233,732
Restructuring charges and asset impairments											84,344	17,176	118,630
Goodwill impairment	101,415					18,315
Income from continuing operations before income taxes	111,750		92,641	113,249	85,537	125,853		123,130	142,245	143,084	403,177	534,312	491,486
United States
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Long-Lived Assets	2,210,510					2,831,810					2,210,510	2,831,810	2,749,101
Segment reporting information profit (loss)
Revenue											2,654,301	2,669,074	2,781,692
Outside United States
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Long-Lived Assets	781,313					836,346					781,313	836,346	910,048
Segment reporting information profit (loss)
Revenue											1,215,100	1,245,990	1,343,649
Total for reportable segments
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Depreciation and amortization											180,853	200,908	228,824
Assets	5,615,861					5,903,541					5,615,861	5,903,541	6,203,485
Reconciling items:
Capital expenditures											124,308	142,506	122,976
Small & Medium Business Solutions
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Depreciation and amortization											110,753	131,761	153,213
Assets	3,830,098					3,968,579					3,830,098	3,968,579	4,134,067
Segment reporting information profit (loss)
Revenue											2,331,460	2,426,596	2,620,250
EBIT											746,891	764,804	821,242
Reconciling items:
Capital expenditures											83,359	108,153	71,213
Goodwill impairment	0					0							0
North America Mailing
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Depreciation and amortization											81,238	104,957	123,252
Assets	2,974,025					3,101,959					2,974,025	3,101,959	3,350,457
Segment reporting information profit (loss)
Revenue	1,723,304					1,818,952							1,961,198
EBIT	675,389					688,665							727,999
Reconciling items:
Capital expenditures											57,973	78,511	57,308
Goodwill impairment	0					0							0
International Mailing
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Depreciation and amortization											29,515	26,804	29,961
Assets	856,073					866,620					856,073	866,620	783,610
Segment reporting information profit (loss)
Revenue	608,156					607,644							659,052
EBIT	71,502					76,139							93,243
Reconciling items:
Capital expenditures											25,386	29,642	13,905
Goodwill impairment	0					0							0
Enterprise Business Solutions
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Depreciation and amortization											45,739	38,980	36,071
Assets	648,634					755,743					648,634	755,743	877,564
Segment reporting information profit (loss)
Revenue											942,013	910,522	908,448
EBIT											138,259	155,151	153,535
Reconciling items:
Capital expenditures											15,387	29,559	46,350
Goodwill impairment	0					0							0
Production Mail
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Depreciation and amortization											15,740	12,227	10,682
Assets	305,428					386,338					305,428	386,338	482,265
Segment reporting information profit (loss)
Revenue	511,544					480,718							511,595
EBIT	55,000					48,981							52,817
Reconciling items:
Capital expenditures											2,875	12,339	11,419
Goodwill impairment	0					0							0
Software
Segment reporting information profit (loss)
EBIT	0					0							0
Management Services [Member]
Segment reporting information profit (loss)
EBIT	0					0							0
Presort Services
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Depreciation and amortization											29,999	26,753	25,389
Assets	343,206					369,405					343,206	369,405	395,299
Segment reporting information profit (loss)
Revenue	430,469					429,804							396,853
EBIT	83,259					106,170							100,718
Reconciling items:
Capital expenditures											12,512	17,220	34,931
Goodwill impairment	0	[1]				0	[1]						0	[1]
Marketing Services
Segment reporting information profit (loss)
EBIT	0					0							0
Digital Commerce Solutions [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Depreciation and amortization											24,361	30,167	39,540
Assets	1,137,129					1,179,219					1,137,129	1,179,219	1,191,854
Segment reporting information profit (loss)
Revenue	595,928					577,946							596,643
EBIT	42,837					37,513							46,419
Reconciling items:
Capital expenditures											25,562	4,794	5,413
Goodwill impairment	0					0							0	[1]
Discontinued Operations [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Depreciation and amortization											16,338	37,863	28,662
Assets	0					727,732					0	727,732	752,450
Reconciling items:
Capital expenditures											8,328	32,849	18,909
Other corporate assets
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Depreciation and amortization											14,052	16,785	14,656
Assets	217,913					278,731					217,913	278,731	321,960
Reconciling items:
Capital expenditures											$ 4,876	$ 1,231	$ 14,095

[1] (1)Primarily represents foreign currency translation adjustments for the period. For discontinued operations in 2013, the adjustment primarily represents the write-off of remaining goodwill upon the sale of the Management Services business.