If you’ve never been to a custom frame shop, created a picture yourself, or even seen them online, then you should understand that framing can drastically change a picture. When you walk into a custom shop, you’ll see hundreds, if not thousands, of frames on the wall made by many different manufacturers. The only way to tell if you like a frame is by showing the actual image. You can then clip each frame to the image itself to see how it will look once framed.

Modern frames come in all shapes and sizes. In many cases, the best looking modern frames come with sleek lines and sometimes additional add-ons to the frame itself. Things like mini-mirrors attached to the frame can be considered a contemporary style. There are so many different modern frames that it’s hard to classify them all, but typically you’ll be looking for a frame that complements your photo or painting with a modern twist.

Traditional ones also come in many shapes and styles. When you walk into a museum, you are usually looking at the traditional style. Think of the typical museum-quality gold and wood as what you would normally expect to get when looking at a traditional frame. The good thing about choosing a traditional style is that it will never go out of style because people have been wearing these frames for hundreds of years. But if you’re looking to frame a photograph, avoid traditional frames.

Large frames will be essential for large pictures or photos. For example, if your image starts to measure larger than 18″ by 18″, then you should consider a larger frame. A small frame will look very out of place with your large image. A small stick next to a huge image is really not the style you are going for.

Small frames can be perfect for photographs and small images. You can usually save quite a bit of money on the smaller frames and they will look perfect on smaller images. Just keep in mind that the artwork may require a large frame, so if you have a small $5000 Picasso, then you should consider a museum-quality large frame.

Just because you’ve received a recommendation for a custom frame shop doesn’t mean you can’t still buy the frame online. You can usually pick up a nearly identical frame online, or sometimes they’ll even have the exact same frame you saw in the store. You might also want to give online retailers a try.