Overview and Basis of Presentation | Note 1. Overview and Basis of Presentation Description of Business Donnelley Financial Solutions, Inc. (the Donnelley Financial’s Registration Statement on Form 10, as amended, was declared effective by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on September 20, 2016. On October 1, 2016, Donnelley Financial became an independent publicly traded company through the distribution by R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company (“RRD”) of approximately 26.2 million shares, or 80.75%, of Donnelley Financial common stock to RRD shareholders (the “Separation”). Holders of RRD common stock received one share of Donnelley Financial common stock for every eight shares of RRD common stock held on September 23, 2016. As part of the Separation, RRD retained approximately 6.2 million shares of Donnelley Financial common stock, or a 19.25% interest in Donnelley Financial. Donnelley Financial’s common stock began regular-way trading under the ticker symbol “DFIN” on the New York Stock Exchange on October 3, 2016. On October 1, 2016, RRD also completed the previously announced separation of LSC Communications, Inc. (“LSC”), its publishing and retail-centric print services and office products business. On March 28, 2017, RRD completed the sale of 6.2 million shares of LSC common stock (RRD’s remaining ownership stake in LSC) in an underwritten public offering. As a result, beginning in the quarter ended June 30, 2017, LSC is no longer an affiliate of the Company. On September 14, 2016, the Company and LSC entered into a Separation and Distribution Agreement with RRD to effect the distribution of the Company’s and LSC’s common stock to RRD’s common stockholders (the “Separation and Distribution Agreement”). This agreement governs the Company’s relationship with RRD and LSC with respect to pre-Separation matters and provides for the allocation of employee benefit, litigation and other liabilities and obligations attributable to periods prior to the Separation. The Separation and Distribution Agreement also includes an agreement that the Company, RRD and LSC will provide each other with appropriate indemnities with respect to liabilities arising out of the businesses being distributed and retained by RRD in the Separation. The Separation and Distribution Agreement also addresses employee compensation and benefit matters. In connection with the Separation, the Company entered into transition services agreements separately with RRD and LSC, under which, in exchange for the fees specified in the arrangements, RRD and LSC agree to provide certain services to the Company and the Company agrees to provide certain services to RRD, respectively, for up to 24 months following the Separation. These services include, but are not limited to, information technology, accounts receivable, accounts payable, payroll and other financial and administrative services and functions. These agreements facilitate the separation by allowing the Company to operate independently prior to establishing stand-alone back office systems across its organization. At the time of the Separation, the Company entered into a number of commercial and other arrangements with RRD and its subsidiaries. These include, among other things, arrangements for the provision of services, including global outsourcing and logistics services, printing and binding, digital printing, composition, premedia and access to technology. The Company also entered into a number of commercial and other arrangements with LSC and its subsidiaries, pursuant to which LSC will print and bind products for the Company. The terms of the arrangements with RRD and LSC do not exceed 24 months. Subsequent to the Separation, RRD and LSC are clients of the Company and expect to utilize financial communication software and services that the Company makes available to all of its clients. On March 24, 2017, pursuant to the Stockholder and Registration Rights Agreement, dated as of September 30, 2016, by and between the Company and RRD, the Company filed a Registration Statement on Form S-1 to register the offering and sale of shares of the Company’s common stock retained by RRD. The Registration Statement on Form S-1, as amended, was declared effective by the SEC on June 13, 2017. On June 21, 2017, RRD completed the sale of approximately 6.1 million shares of the Company’s common stock in an underwritten public offering. Upon the consummation of the offering, RRD retained approximately 0.1 million shares of the Company’s common stock which were subsequently sold by RRD on August 1, 2017. In conjunction with the underwritten public offering, the underwriters exercised their option to purchase approximately 0.9 million of the Company’s shares (the “Option Shares”). The Company received approximately $18.8 million in net proceeds from the sale of the Option Shares, after deducting estimated underwriting discounts and commissions. The proceeds were used to reduce outstanding debt under the Revolving Facility (as defined in Note 11, Debt ). Beginning in the quarter ended September 30, 2017, RRD no longer qualified as a related party, therefore amounts disclosed related to RRD are presented through June 30, 2017 only. Basis of Presentation The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated and combined financial statements reflect the consolidated financial position and consolidated results of operations of the Company as an independent, publicly traded company for the periods after the Separation and the combined financial position and combined results of operations for the periods prior to the Separation. Prior to the Separation, the combined financial statements were prepared on a stand-alone basis and were derived from RRD’s consolidated financial statements and accounting records. The unaudited condensed consolidated and combined financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”) for interim financial information and in accordance with the rules and regulations of the SEC. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by GAAP for complete financial statements. The financial data presented herein should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated and combined financial statements and accompanying notes included in the Company’s latest Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016 filed with the SEC on February 28, 2017. In the opinion of management, the financial data presented includes all adjustments necessary to present fairly the financial position, results of operations and cash flows for the interim periods presented. Results of interim periods should not be considered indicative of the results for the full year. These unaudited condensed consolidated and combined interim financial statements include estimates and assumptions of management that affect the amounts reported in the unaudited condensed consolidated and combined financial statements. Actual results could differ from these estimates. For periods prior to the Separation, the unaudited condensed consolidated and combined financial statements include the allocation of certain assets and liabilities that were historically held at the RRD corporate level but which were specifically identifiable or attributable to the Company. Cash and cash equivalents held by RRD were not allocated to Donnelley Financial unless they were held in a legal entity that was transferred to Donnelley Financial. All intercompany transactions and accounts within Donnelley Financial have been eliminated. All intracompany transactions between RRD and Donnelley Financial are considered to be effectively settled in the unaudited condensed consolidated and combined financial statements at the time the transaction is recorded. The total net effect of the settlement of these intracompany transactions is reflected in the unaudited condensed consolidated and combined statements of cash flows as a financing activity and in the unaudited condensed consolidated and combined balance sheets as net parent company investment. Net parent company investment is primarily impacted by contributions from RRD which are the result of treasury activities and net funding provided by or distributed to RRD. Prior to the Separation, the unaudited condensed consolidated and combined financial statements include certain expenses of RRD which were allocated to Donnelley Financial for certain functions, including general corporate expenses related to information technology, finance, legal, human resources, internal audit, treasury, tax, investor relations and executive oversight. These expenses were allocated to the Company on the basis of direct usage, when available, with the remainder allocated on the pro rata basis of revenue, employee headcount, or other measures. We consider the expense methodology and results to be reasonable for all periods presented. However these allocations may not be indicative of the actual expenses that would have been incurred as an independent public company or the costs that may be incurred in the future. For periods prior to the Separation, the income tax amounts in the unaudited condensed consolidated and combined financial statements were calculated based on a separate income tax return methodology and presented as if the Company’s operations were separate taxpayers in the respective jurisdictions. RRD maintained various benefit and share-based compensation plans at a corporate level. Donnelley Financial employees participated in those programs and a portion of the cost of those plans is included in Donnelley Financial’s condensed consolidated and combined financial statements for periods prior to the Separation. On October 1, 2016, Donnelley Financial recorded net pension plan liabilities of $68.3 million (consisting of a total benefit plan liability of $317.0 million, net of plan assets having fair market value of $248.7 million), as a result of the transfer of certain pension plan liabilities and assets from RRD to the Company upon the legal split of those plans. The pension plan asset allocation from RRD was finalized on June 30, 2017, which resulted in a $0.7 million decrease to the fair value of plan assets transferred to the Company from RRD. The Company also recorded a net other postretirement benefit liability of $1.5 million, as a result of the transfer of an other postretirement benefit plan from RRD to the Company. Refer to Note 6, Retirement Plans Donnelley Financial generates a portion of net revenue from sales to RRD’s subsidiaries. Included in the unaudited condensed combined financial statements are net revenues from sales to RRD and affiliates of $1.1 million and $3.6 million for the three months and nine months ended September 30, 2016, respectively. Donnelley Financial utilizes RRD for freight and logistics, production of certain printed products and outsourced business services functions. Included in the unaudited condensed combined financial statements are cost of sales to RRD and affiliates of $20.2 million and $78.0 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016, respectively. Intercompany receivables and payables with RRD are reflected within net parent company investment in the accompanying unaudited condensed combined financial statements for periods prior to the Separation. See Note Related Parties, |