Companies in south-east England, which faced the worst snow in 18 years, were the hardest hit.

Grant Deudney, international head of print and distribution for auction house Christies, struggled to get international deliveries out of the country.

"We had stuff we needed to move but couldn't. We had to take stock out of Paris and send it to New York because we couldn't get it out of UK," said Deudney.

"I had to raid a smaller stockpile in Paris. It worked out, but if I didn't have that stockpile, I would've been caught short," he added.

Deudney said the company wasn't hit too hard because it kept 10-12 tonnes of stock at its printers at any given time. He said Christie's domestic distribution was also affected. "No vans could get out."

Jane Cahillane, print buyer for West End theatre marketing specialists Dewynters, said the capital was "at a virtual standstill".

"There were no proofs coming in and no work being delivered," she added, saying the London streets were "clogged up" in the hazardous conditions. 

Capita Print Management managing director Mark Hughes also had to go to a back-up plan after the snow stopped the capital.

"London designers were struggling to get in so we had to move work to a non-London site. We got off lightly in the Midlands," added Hughes.

The nation's printers were also hit by the extreme weather conditions.

How did your supply lines hold up in the freak snow? Post your comments below.