Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Narrative (Detail) $ / shares in Units, $ in Millions		10 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Oct. 02, 2016	Oct. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($) Customer $ / shares shares	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) Customer $ / shares shares	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($) Customer	Oct. 01, 2016 Entity shares
Basis Of Presentation And Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Number of entities resulted from spinoff of an entity | Entity						2
Number of single client comprising more than 10% of consolidated net sales | Customer			0	0	0
Percentage of inventory valued at LIFO			37.70%	43.80%
LIFO (benefit)			$ (0.5)	$ (1.1)	$ (0.1)
Depreciation expense			139.8	$ 152.9	171.4
Building and related land sales, deposit received			$ 12.5
Annual goodwill impairment testing date		--10-31
Preferred stock, authorized | shares			2,000,000	2,000,000
Preferred stock, par value | $ / shares			$ 1.00	$ 1.00
Computer Software, Intangible Asset
Basis Of Presentation And Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Amortization expense, primarily related to internally-developed software			$ 23.0	$ 17.6	$ 14.9
Minimum | Buildings
Basis Of Presentation And Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Estimated useful life			15 years
Minimum | Machinery and Equipment
Basis Of Presentation And Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Estimated useful life			3 years
Maximum | Computer Software, Intangible Asset
Basis Of Presentation And Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Estimated useful life of computer software			5 years
Maximum | Buildings
Basis Of Presentation And Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Estimated useful life			40 years
Maximum | Leasehold Improvements
Basis Of Presentation And Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Estimated useful life			7 years
Maximum | Machinery and Equipment
Basis Of Presentation And Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Estimated useful life			15 years
Net Sales | Client Concentration Risk | Maximum
Basis Of Presentation And Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Percentage of net sales per client, maximum			10.00%	10.00%	10.00%
Donnelley Financial Solutions, Inc.
Basis Of Presentation And Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Percentage of tax free distribution of common shares during spinoff						80.75%
Stock distribution ratio received in spinoff transaction						12.50%
Outstanding common stock retained upon spinoff	19.25%
LSC Communications, Inc.
Basis Of Presentation And Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Percentage of tax free distribution of common shares during spinoff						80.75%
Stock distribution ratio received in spinoff transaction						12.50%
Outstanding common stock retained upon spinoff	19.25%
Spinoff
Basis Of Presentation And Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Reverse Stock Split, description			Immediately following the Distribution on October 1, 2016, the Company affected a one for three reverse stock split for RRD 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.
Reverse Stock Split, conversion ratio	0.3333
Spinoff | Board of Directors
Basis Of Presentation And Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Reverse Stock Split, approval date			Sep. 14, 2016
Spinoff | Stockholders
Basis Of Presentation And Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Reverse Stock Split, approval date			May 19, 2016
Spinoff | Donnelley Financial Solutions, Inc. | Available-for-Sale Equity Securities
Basis Of Presentation And Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Number of common shares held | shares			0			6,200,000
Spinoff | LSC Communications, Inc. | Available-for-Sale Equity Securities
Basis Of Presentation And Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Number of common shares held | shares			0			6,200,000