How do I know that my printer is going to print the same colors on my editing software?

I use Photoshop Elements 6 to edit my photos - when I go to print,, the colors dont always come out as crisp, clear or saturated as I edited. I use a Lexmark ink jet printer. How do I know that my printer is going to print the same colors on my editing software?
Unless you have a professional-grade printer, monitor, and professional calibration tools, you'll never get the same colors as what you see on your monitor.





Remember that your monitor uses light to display colors, and your paper uses ink. The two will never match.





That being said, the ink and paper that you use make a big difference to getting closer to what you see on screen. Be sure to use high-gloss paper that is meant for photos. Use photo ink (the expensive stuff) which is brighter than regular color ink.





If your printer, monitor, and scanner support calibration tools, you can give that a shot. Basically you print a calibration sheet, scan it, and the tool synchronizes things. But most consumer-grade equipment won't have this feature.





I know that's probably not what you wanted to hear... but give the good paper a shot and you'll probably be a lot happier.





Another option is to take your photos to a place like Wal*Mart with their photo printing machines. They're actually pretty good.





Hope that helps,





-David