Samuel Dyer (20 February 1804 - 24 October 1843), arrived in Penang in 1827 and with his wife Maria, lived there until 1835. He and his family then moved to Malacca leaving for Singapore in 1842. He was known as a typographer for creating a steel typeface of Chinese characters for printing to replace traditional wood blocks. Dyer's type was accurate, aesthetically pleasing, durable and practical.