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; and assigning the first data file and the second data file associated with each of the PDL segments to at least one of the PDL processors; wherein the first data file comprises all PDL operations from the associated segment that might affect subsequent segments; and wherein the second data file comprises all PDL operations from the associated segment that are necessary to interpret the associated segment.