Basis of Presentation	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2016
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Basis of Presentation	1. Basis of Presentation The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated interim financial statements include the accounts of R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company and its subsidiaries (the “Company” or “RR Donnelley”) and have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) for interim financial information and in accordance with the rules and regulations of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by GAAP for complete financial statements. These unaudited condensed consolidated interim financial statements reflect all normal and recurring adjustments that are, in the opinion of management, necessary for a fair presentation of the results for the interim periods and should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and the related notes thereto included in the Company’s latest Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015 filed with the SEC on February 25, 2016. Operating results for the nine months ended September 30, 2016 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2016. All significant intercompany transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. These unaudited condensed consolidated interim financial statements include estimates and assumptions of management that affect the amounts reported in the condensed consolidated financial statements. Actual results could differ from these estimates. Spinoff Transactions On October 1, 2016, the Company completed the previously announced separation of its financial communications and data services business (“Donnelley Financial Solutions, Inc.” or “Donnelley Financial”) and the publishing and retail-centric print services and office products business (“LSC Communications, Inc.” or “LSC”) into two separate publicly-traded companies (the "Separation"). The Company completed the tax free distribution of approximately 26.2 million shares, or 80.75%, of the outstanding common stock of Donnelley Financial and 26.2 million shares, or 80.75%, of the outstanding common stock of LSC, to the Company’s stockholders (the “Distribution”). The Distribution was made to the Company’s stockholders of record as of the close of business on September 23, 2016, who received one share of Donnelley Financial common stock and one share of LSC common stock for every eight shares of RR Donnelley common stock held as of the record date. As a result of the Distribution, Donnelley Financial and LSC are now independent public companies trading under the symbols “DFIN” and “LKSD”, respectively, on the New York Stock Exchange. Immediately following the Distribution, the Company held 6.2 million shares of Donnelley Financial Solutions common stock and 6.2 million shares of LSC common stock. The Company will account for these investments as available-for-sale equity securities. The value of the Company’s investment in Donnelley Financial and LSC was approximately $350.1 million, calculated using the mid-point stock price for each company’s common stock on October 3, 2016. The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated interim financial statements include the historical results of Donnelley Financial and LSC, as the Separation did not take place until October 1, 2016. In future filings, the historical results of Donnelley Financial and LSC will be presented as discontinued operations. As a result of the Separation, the accompanying unaudited interim condensed consolidated interim financial statements are not indicative of the Company's future financial position, results of operations or cash flows. In conjunction with the Separation, the Company entered into certain agreements with Donnelley Financial and LSC, to implement the legal and structural separation from Donnelley Financial and LSC, govern the relationship between the Company, Donnelley Financial and LSC up to and after the completion of the Separation, and allocate between the Company, Donnelley Financial and LSC various assets, liabilities and obligations, including, among other things, employee benefits, intellectual property and tax-related assets and liabilities. These agreements included the Separation and Distribution Agreement, Transition Services Agreement, Tax Disaffiliation Agreement, Patent Assignment and License Agreement, Trademark Assignment and License Agreement, Data Assignment and License Agreement, Software, Copyright and Trade Secret Assignment and License Agreement, Stockholder and Registration Rights Agreement and commercial and other arrangements and agreements. Reverse Stock Split Immediately following the Distribution on October 1, 2016, the Company effected a one for three reverse stock split for RR Donnelley common stock (the “Reverse Stock Split”). The Reverse Stock Split was approved by the Company’s Board of Directors on September 14, 2016 and previously approved by the Company’s stockholders at the annual meeting on May 19, 2016. As a result of the Reverse Stock Split, the number of issued and outstanding and treasury shares of the Company’s common stock will be reduced proportionally based on the Reverse Stock Split ratio of one share for every three shares of common stock held before the Reverse Stock Split. No fractional shares of RR Donnelley common stock were distributed to stockholders in connection with the Reverse Stock Split, but instead, all fractional shares were aggregated by the Company’s transfer agent and sold at the prevailing price in the open-market on October 6, 2016. The total number of aggregated shares of the Company’s common stock of 3,088 shares was sold for total net cash proceeds of less than $0.1 million which was then paid to stockholders in an amount equal to their respective pro rata share of the total net cash proceeds. All references in these unaudited condensed consolidated interim financial statements to the number of shares of common stock and per share amounts have been retroactively adjusted to give effect to the Reverse Stock Split.

1. Basis of Presentation

The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated interim financial statements include the accounts of R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company and its subsidiaries (the “Company” or “RR Donnelley”) and have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) for interim financial information and in accordance with the rules and regulations of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by GAAP for complete financial statements. These unaudited condensed consolidated interim financial statements reflect all normal and recurring adjustments that are, in the opinion of management, necessary for a fair presentation of the results for the interim periods and should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and the related notes thereto included in the Company’s latest Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015 filed with the SEC on February 25, 2016. Operating results for the nine months ended September 30, 2016 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2016. All significant intercompany transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. These unaudited condensed consolidated interim financial statements include estimates and assumptions of management that affect the amounts reported in the condensed consolidated financial statements. Actual results could differ from these estimates.

Spinoff Transactions

On October 1, 2016, the Company completed the previously announced separation of its financial communications and data services business (“Donnelley Financial Solutions, Inc.” or “Donnelley Financial”) and the publishing and retail-centric print services and office products business (“LSC Communications, Inc.” or “LSC”) into two separate publicly-traded companies (the "Separation"). The Company completed the tax free distribution of approximately 26.2 million shares, or 80.75%, of the outstanding common stock of Donnelley Financial and 26.2 million shares, or 80.75%, of the outstanding common stock of LSC, to the Company’s stockholders (the “Distribution”). The Distribution was made to the Company’s stockholders of record as of the close of business on September 23, 2016, who received one share of Donnelley Financial common stock and one share of LSC common stock for every eight shares of RR Donnelley common stock held as of the record date. As a result of the Distribution, Donnelley Financial and LSC are now independent public companies trading under the symbols “DFIN” and “LKSD”, respectively, on the New York Stock Exchange. Immediately following the Distribution, the Company held 6.2 million shares of Donnelley Financial Solutions common stock and 6.2 million shares of LSC common stock. The Company will account for these investments as available-for-sale equity securities. The value of the Company’s investment in Donnelley Financial and LSC was approximately $350.1 million, calculated using the mid-point stock price for each company’s common stock on October 3, 2016.

The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated interim financial statements include the historical results of Donnelley Financial and LSC, as the Separation did not take place until October 1, 2016. In future filings, the historical results of Donnelley Financial and LSC will be presented as discontinued operations. As a result of the Separation, the accompanying unaudited interim condensed consolidated interim financial statements are not indicative of the Company's future financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

In conjunction with the Separation, the Company entered into certain agreements with Donnelley Financial and LSC, to implement the legal and structural separation from Donnelley Financial and LSC, govern the relationship between the Company, Donnelley Financial and LSC up to and after the completion of the Separation, and allocate between the Company, Donnelley Financial and LSC various assets, liabilities and obligations, including, among other things, employee benefits, intellectual property and tax-related assets and liabilities. These agreements included the Separation and Distribution Agreement, Transition Services Agreement, Tax Disaffiliation Agreement, Patent Assignment and License Agreement, Trademark Assignment and License Agreement, Data Assignment and License Agreement, Software, Copyright and Trade Secret Assignment and License Agreement, Stockholder and Registration Rights Agreement and commercial and other arrangements and agreements.

Reverse Stock Split

Immediately following the Distribution on October 1, 2016, the Company effected a one for three reverse stock split for RR Donnelley common stock (the “Reverse Stock Split”). The Reverse Stock Split was approved by the Company’s Board of Directors on September 14, 2016 and previously approved by the Company’s stockholders at the annual meeting on May 19, 2016.

As a result of the Reverse Stock Split, the number of issued and outstanding and treasury shares of the Company’s common stock will be reduced proportionally based on the Reverse Stock Split ratio of one share for every three shares of common stock held before the Reverse Stock Split. No fractional shares of RR Donnelley common stock were distributed to stockholders in connection with the Reverse Stock Split, but instead, all fractional shares were aggregated by the Company’s transfer agent and sold at the prevailing price in the open-market on October 6, 2016. The total number of aggregated shares of the Company’s common stock of 3,088 shares was sold for total net cash proceeds of less than $0.1 million which was then paid to stockholders in an amount equal to their respective pro rata share of the total net cash proceeds. All references in these unaudited condensed consolidated interim financial statements to the number of shares of common stock and per share amounts have been retroactively adjusted to give effect to the Reverse Stock Split.