It's the final extension of the art, the final parameters. And it can be as personal as the artwork itself. It can be simple, highlighting the art, or it can be elaborate, making a work more important or more substantial by the way it is framed and presented. But the question remains, where do you begin?

"Perhaps it's as simple as asking someone why they bought the piece of art in the first place," said Michael Schaer, proprietor of MJ Schaer Gallery on First Street in Napa. With 25 years of experience, there are few special requests he has not heard, few styles of art or variety of subject matter he has not been presented with.

"Part of what I do is ask what I hope are the right questions," he said. "I ask them where the picture will be hung. That's a big consideration. Sometimes that means an elegant gilded frame, other times it might mean rustic. Elaborate versus simple, anything from natural woods or a simple black veneer all the way up to Italian hand-carved, hand-finished frames, or a complete custom design.
"Good framing - proper framing, I should say - will always enhance the art. It will create a better presence for it."

Price is another consideration. The same piece of art might cost $175 to frame, or it might cost $375, depending upon the cost of the materials and the work involved. Frames, for instance, can range from a low end of four or five dollars a linear foot (times the total number of feet and inches measured on all four sides) to as much as $75 or $80 (or more) per foot for that elaborate Italian design.

Mattes are another issue. Simple white matte, a double hand-wrapped fabric matte with a fillet (an inner wooden liner), or perhaps a matte that is beveled? Do you want four, six or eight ply, acid free archival or not, and what about the type of hinges, the pieces that attach to the art itself? The price of the matte is calculated by figuring the united inches (width and height), and then referencing a scale that determines the final price. Then there is glass. Do you want standard premium clear glass, which is used for most projects, or does it need to be non-glare (which presents new framing considerations) or a UV- restrictive specialty glass? A good framer will be able to guide you along this path, providing the answers that you need, based on experience.

Dollars aside, the entire question of framing is still a very personal one. Expect to spend some time on your initial visit, so you can consider each alternative. And don't be in too much of a hurry. Great framing, like great art, takes time.