If you have a photo that you consider irreplaceable, consider framing a duplicate or copy. RELATED LINKS Take the Photography IQ Test Watch Videos on Taking Great Photos

Photographs can be links to our past, reminders of the people, places and events that have made us happy, or just fine pieces of art. The best way to showcase treasured photos is to place them in beautiful frames, and although one way to do this is to have them custom framed by a professional, framing at home is a less expensive option that often results in a finished product that is just as worthy of the wall or mantle.

Writer and editor Christine Camean has always had a passion for home design. After freelancing for IN STYLE magazine, Carmean joined Real Simple magazine in September 2000, where she is now associate home editor. She offers the following tips for framing photos at home:

• Choose carefully. Camean likes to take her time looking through photos so that she can pick the ones most worthy of a great frame. Once a photo is in a frame, you'll likely be looking at it a lot, so make sure it's one you love or that fits well with your décor.

• Use mats. Matting a photo will add a little to the price of framing, but according to Camean, it's an essential step. Photos without mats might melt, stick to the glass of the frame, and get damaged.

• Taping. Many people will tape all four sides of a photo to a mat, but Camean claims doing this is a mistake. If a photo is secured too tightly, heat and humidity could cause it to warp. If you tape only the top edge of the photo, it is more likely to remain flat.

• Make copies. Display is the harshest environment for photographs, so if you have prints that you want to keep pristine, consider framing color copies or duplicates printed from a negative. Don't worry if you no longer have the original negative, as photo labs can make one from the print. Computer scanners and high quality color printers are also a good way to make duplicates to frame.

• Themes. Camean enjoys coming up with a theme for a particular wall of photos. She sees it as a fun and inexpensive way to create a very personalized décor using pictures of people, places and things that are near and dear to her heart. So if you've got spots on your walls, tables, or shelves that could use a personal touch, start picking out photos and frames!

Photo Innovation: Matting and Framing
www.photoinnovation.com/photograph_framing_tips.htm

Photo.net: Framing
www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-one-category?topic_id=23&category=Framing

Our House: Framing Corner
ourhouse.ninemsn.com.au/ourhouse/factsheets/db/artanddesign/04/457.asp

Picture Frames.com: Tips & Tricks
www.pictureframes.com/html/tips.html

AIC: Caring For Your Photographs
aic.stanford.edu/treasure/photos.html