The only critical part to an alignment is a perfectly level surface.

Thereafter, if you invest in a ruler, some jack stands and string, you are off to a good start.

Why? Because your toe is the real important alignment dimension, DIY or otherwise.

Camber is best tackled with looking at what you have for a suspensinon--struts or a-arms, etc--and tires. It is best tackled by testing at the track with a pyro gauge. Everything else is a guess, so fir the DIYer, put in as much negative as you can for a starting point. Adjusting your camber will change your toe.

Leave your caster alone--assuming your car is straight, uncrashed.

The best tools are scales, but they can get pricey. To do your cornerweighting you will need them, but you also need A LEVEL SURFACE! After adjusting the scales for 50-50 cross-weight (or whatever weight jacking you may want to experiment with) you will need to reset (guess what?) your toe!

There are articles on the net and in books/magazines to help with all of this.

Learn the toe.

Regards.

There is no substitute for experience, but DIY aligning is not difficult to learn.

I have only one use for a pro shop rack--and not an alignment machine. That's a frame machine at a good body shop to repair the unibody to a straight unibody.