Setting up and maintaining a desktop photo printer is more hassle and more expensive than using a good on-line printing service. The main advantages are speed and convenience. If you don't use them regularly, they tend to clog up and you waste more ink in cleaning cycles than in printing. Most of us do have photo printers, but I often wonder why I bother.
Re monitor calibration, I'm in the minority here because I prefer to do it manually, using simple test wedges and calibration charts. I'll say no more on that because I don't want to start an argument.
