Income Taxes - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended
Aug. 02, 2014	Aug. 03, 2013	Aug. 02, 2014	Aug. 03, 2013	Jan. 31, 2014
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Income tax expense	$ 812,000	$ 331,000	$ 1,261,000	$ 11,000
Expense included in income tax			1,361,000
Pretax income and benefit			100,000
Cumulative unrecognized tax benefits	651,000		651,000		715,000
Developments affecting unrecognized tax benefits	$ 0

Developments affecting unrecognized tax benefits.

No definition available.

Name:	alot_DevelopmentsAffectingUnrecognizedTaxBenefits
Namespace Prefix:	alot_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Income tax benefit related to the favorable resolution of previously uncertain tax position.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	alot_IncomeTaxBenefitFavorableResolutionOfPreviouslyUncertainTaxPosition
Namespace Prefix:	alot_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Income tax expense on income from continuing operations for the period.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	alot_IncomeTaxExpense
Namespace Prefix:	alot_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_IncomeTaxDisclosureAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of current income tax expense (benefit) and deferred income tax expense (benefit) pertaining to continuing operations.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 235

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.4-08.(h))

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26873400&loc=d3e23780-122690

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 08

-Paragraph h

-Article 4

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Glossary Income Tax Expense (or Benefit)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6515339

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 740

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 9

-Subparagraph (a),(b)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6907707&loc=d3e32639-109319

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of unrecognized tax benefits pertaining to uncertain tax positions taken in tax returns.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Glossary Unrecognized Tax Benefit

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6527854

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 740

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 15A

-Subparagraph (a)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6907707&loc=SL6600010-109319

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefits
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant