Color Matching Systems

This is a little issue that had me annoyed this week. It is always an issue, no matter what kind of agency you are dealing with, getting what is on the screen to accurately print out. I have an older 27″ mid-2010 i5 iMac which is serving its’ purpose admirabily, as well as an older Epson CX8400 inkjet / scanner and I’ve just purchased a Ricoh sp830c. I want them to play nice with each other. I’m looking for suggestions as to what types of Color Matching Systems other professionals are using. I’ve read enough to know to start by calibrating the monitor and have the printer follow suit.