As PrintWeek went to press on 13 September, RR Donnelley was unable to account for 20% of the staff at its New York office, close to the devastation at the World Trade Centre.

A spokeswoman said staff were evacuated following the terrorist strike, and the firm was still attempting to contact all employees.

Burrups, the financial printing arm of St Ives, reported that all staff at its New York office had been accounted for.

A spokesman for Bowne Global Solutions said that all staff in its Washington and New York offices had been evacuated safely.

UK newspaper groups reacted by increasing paginations and print runs, but despite this newsagents shelves across the country were cleared of all copies.

West Ferry production director Brett Lawrence said the majority of national titles printed at the plant were produced at maximum pagination and colour.

There were lots of spreads, with print runs up by over 100,000, he said.

Lawrence said the increase on print was expected to last for several days, with the broadsheets up by 75,000.

West Ferry handles production of the Daily Telegraph, Daily Express, Financial Times, The Guardian and Daily Star and Sport newspapers.

Visitors to Chicagos Print 01 exhibition were left stranded as all flights in and out of the US were cancelled.

Show attendance was reported as slow, with exhibition booths unstaffed and several press conferences cancelled.

Story by Andy Scott