The problem with design-your-own solutions is that they either have to be designed for each photo in turn or that you have a relatively small number of frames to choose from.

The frame making programs have a choice of options (many or few depending on the program), where there can be settings for width, colour, gradient, opacity etc and where there can be an outside and inner frame and another frame to simulate the card on which the photo can be mounted inside the frame. There are a lot of easily made choices so that each photo can have a frame designed to suit it without spending a lot of time doing the framing. When you have a lot of photos you want to frame, and you are fussy about the quality, the time that this approach saves can be huge.

Usually .png files that you import to lay over or behind your pic. You then save as .jpeg or bmp if u prefer.

If you have MS Publisher it's easy too....

I don't yet have any idea about how to add new frames to idFramer, using the same procedures as shown in the picture, but I am really hoping it will be possible in a easy way. Then this would be my next step. The next exciting part of the race... My problem right here and now is that I have not yet collected any frames, so I am in the dark when it comes to understanding what frames really are! What ARE we talking about?

I assume you are asking questions etc on the IdImager/IdFramer forums. (IdImager apparently has the same framer engine as IdFramer, so posts about framing there are relevant and there seem to be far more users for IdImager). Alternatively, Hert (the developer) is generally extremely helpful and responsive.

I have done very little, concerning frames, due to my change of age yesterday

Allow me to wish you a belated Happy Change Of Age Day!

I change my own age daily...

[Edit: cant proff red]

I change my own age daily...

Do you change with age?

@Darwin
94 days left...

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

mid-life crisis clock's ticking 

and... a Happy Change of Age Day goes to Curt.

You asked...

You're welcome!

Of course I would also like to test idImager in order to see if there are any noticeable differences, concerning frames. As you said, they use the same engine, but  regarding frames  I would like to know if idImager is offering some valuable extras, having an in-built editor, other than idFramer does.

Belated congratulations 

Now I have IdImager, but haven't tried IdFramer separately. IdI does have many more functions than IdF, but I doubt whether they extend to framing. IdI is fundamentally an Image Database Manager, but also has raw conversion and some photoediting and comparison tools.

However, a lot of frame editing is possible. You can have as many frame layers as you want (you simply add layers as you choose). The layers can be of any pattern/texture you choose (you can select the image you want to use as the base from any image on your computer) and you can choose whether to tile or stretch it. You can set the shape of the frame by using masks (you can see examples by looking in the masks folder, and it would be very easy then to design your own). And, of course, each layer can be of any width etc etc. And having designed a custom frame, you can save it and use it as often as you want, tweaking it as much as you want as you go. And all the frames can easily be duplicated and/or edited.

Pretty simple and pretty effective and flexible.

Something different: automatting

http://www.imagetrendsinc.com/products/prodpage_automatting.asp

Regarding AutoMatting:
1) You need to register before downloading a trial.
2) SetupAutoMattingXP.exe wouldn't install on my XP.
-  Filesize was 66kb, should have been 8½mb.
3) $50 for this one feature is maybe a little too much for me.

But I really like the capability to frame all these vertical-scape images.

try photoscape....its free and fun

this is very cool i think

not exactly framing
but more then i expected

http://www.photojoy.com/index.aspx?id=10005