1. A method for processing a page description language (“PDL”) data stream that describes a document, the method comprising: creating a segmenting rule for segmenting the PDL data stream; segmenting the PDL data stream according to the segmenting rule to provide a plurality of PDL segments; creating for each of the PDL segments an associated first data file and a second data file; providing a plurality of PDL processors; assigning the first data file or the second data file associated with each of the PDL segments to at least one of the PDL processors; processing the first and second data files with the PDL processors; combining the processed data files to form a composite bitmap; and displaying the composite bitmap on an output device.