William Clowes (1 January 1779 – 26 January 1847) was a British printer who developed the use of steam-powered printing presses in the industry. He founded the printing firm that became William Clowes Ltd. in London in 1803.
Clowes was born in Chichester, Sussex, the eldest son of schoolteachers William Clowes and Elizabeth (née Harraden) Clowes. His father died when William was an infant, and he became a printer's apprentice at the age of 10.
In 1803, he moved to London and founded his own business in October 1803 at 20 Villiers Street, with just one employee. Through his wife's cousin, William Winchester, Clowes was able to gain access to government printing work which enabled the firm to develop rapidly, moving to Northumberland Court in 1807.