Don't get hung up on the "custom" part

Custom framing intimidates.

It's also expensive, especially compared with ready-made frames at discount retailers that look similar to custom frames. But family photos, birth announcements and especially fine art pieces deserve the protection of conservation glass, high-quality backing and sturdy wooden frames.

Frame stores have thousands of mats and frames in various colors and textures to choose from. And framing can make or break artwork.

A skilled framer can help you decide, but it comes down to this: "It's your piece," says Dennis Saum, owner of Overland Park Art & Frame. "You have to be happy with it. The framer doesn't go home to it every day."

Custom framing prices are based on size, materials and labor. Count on about $25 for a 1/2-inch-wide standard black wood frame with non-specialty glass and wood-pulp backing for an 8-by-10-inch piece. The same piece in a 1/2-inch-wide premium hardwood frame with museum glass and acid-free backing could cost about $100.

Here are some guidelines to help simplify custom framing:

Mats

Special details

Asian-cornered frames: The rounded forms enhance contemporary and Asian art.

Black core mats: A black beveled edge of a mat — rather than a standard white one — gives a finished graphic look to prints and black-and-white photographs.

Fillets: The thin frame inside a frame defines architectural renderings and art surrounded by large white spaces.

French-lined mats: The painted lines on mats add subtle color to academic drawings and vintage botanicals.

The cardinal rule of framing is that it is meant to complement — not compete with — the art. Brightly colored mats usually overwhelm a piece. "They also date it," says interior designer Julie Casey. "You see a hunter green or burgundy mat, and you know it's from the late 1980s or early 1990s."

Instead, Casey suggests using white, cream, black, gray or earth-tone mats. With a neutral mat, a framed piece easily can move from room to room. A neutral mat also can save money because there's no need for reframing later. Children's rooms and playrooms, however, are good places for brightly colored mats.

Computer-controlled mat cutters can create interesting angles and shapes. Double-thick mats are popular because they add depth to a piece.

For pieces that have value or special meaning, cotton rag mats are the way to go. The acid-free materials prevent yellowing and burning.

Frames

Black wooden frames are the most popular, followed by white frames. But each has downsides:

Black comes on strong, sometimes providing too much contrast. It also shows scratches and gouges.

White disappears, especially against white walls, not providing enough contrast. White shows dirt.

Natural maple is a happy medium.

Subtle metallic finishes such as copper, pewter and silver are another increasingly popular option for frames.

Elaborate frames can complement family documents, mirrors and vintage oil paintings.

Glass

Museum glass is the best type of protection for fine art. It filters out 98 percent of the ultraviolet rays found in sunlight and fluorescent light, which fade art. It also has an extra optical lens coating, reducing glare. Different grades of less expensive conservation glass are also available.

"Good glass is worth the extra $30 or $40," says Jackie Warren, owner of Artistic Solutions, a framing consulting business. "It protects the investment you made in the art."

Occasionally Warren uses high-quality acrylic instead of glass. If a piece of art is big and already heavy from the frame, she'll go with Plexiglas, or a form of plastic covering. Plexiglas is good for a child's room because it won't break. The disadvantages of Plexiglas are that it scratches and can yellow.

Sometimes, glass isn't necessary. Oil paintings and needlework with thick fibers look better when they're displayed without it.

Shadowbox

Kirk and Jill Presley of Kansas City have a shadowbox hanging in their dining room. The pheasant feathers inside have sentimental meaning because they're from hunting trips Kirk took with his father. The couple gave the feathers to an interior designer, who had them mounted in a chunky frame with a linen lining.

If having a shadowbox made, make sure the memorabilia will be unaltered and affixed with a clip or fastener that can be easily undone in the future.