Warranty (Narrative) (Details)	9 Months Ended
Oct. 01, 2011
Warranty [Abstract]
Product warranty description	In general, Zebra provides warranty coverage of one year on printers against defects in material and workmanship. Printheads are warranted for nine months and batteries are warranted for twelve months. Battery based products, such as location tags, are covered by a 30-day warranty.

Describes the nature of the product warranty, including the approximate term of the product warranty, how the product warranty arose, and the events or circumstances that would require the warrantor to perform under the product warranty.

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

-Publisher FASB

-Name FASB Interpretation (FIN)

-Number 45

-Paragraph 13

-Subparagraph a

-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

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

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 460

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 4

-Subparagraph (a)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6851643&loc=d3e12069-110248

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

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 460

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 8

-Subparagraph (a)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6398077&loc=d3e12565-110249

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