Avery: high-tech meets old world. (Avery Fine Framing and Art) (Company Profile)

Virtually everything you see at Avery Fine Framing and Art is done by hand. Whether it's a hand-painted or gilded frame, it's typically constructed using the same methods that have been used in Europe for hundreds of years.

There is, however, one notable exception: a special computer program calculates the numerous dimensions of the frame and the matting inside the frame.

"Doing the calculations by hand can take two days," says Steve Lance, Avery's art director and developer of the program, which also allows the company to keep track of its supply inventory and allows customers to "mix and match" frame finishes and moldings.

Combining computers with …