Shanty Bay Press was established in Shanty Bay, Ontario, in 1996 as a private press devoted to publishing livres d’artistes in which the texts and the illustrations accompanying them would have equal weight in the design of the books. The press is a partnership: the type-setting, presswork and binding are the work of Janis Butler, the illustrations are by Walter Bachinski, and the editorial, design and publishing decisions are shared. The press’s equipment includes a Vandercook SP20, Vandercook Universal 1, double crown Washington hand press (1836), an etching press, and a growing collection of type.

Janis Butler has a degree in English from the University of Waterloo and has undertaken extensive studies in studio work (chiefly painting) at York University. She studied printing with George Walker at Ontario College of Art and Design, with Crispin and Jan Elsted at Barbarian Press and with Clare Bolton at Alembic Press.  She studied binding with Betsy Palmer Eldridge and Reg Beatty in Toronto. She teaches studio art and art history at Georgian College, and is active as a painter.

Walter Bachinski has an MA from the University of Iowa, where he majored in printmaking with Mauricio Lasansky. He also worked closely with Frederick Hagan at the Ontario College of Art. He taught drawing and printmaking at the University of Guelph from 1967-1994. He is widely known as a sculptor, draughtsman, printmaker and pastellist.  He has had numerous exhibitions in Canada and his work is in private and public collections across Canada, the U.S. and Europe.