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                                                                     EXHIBIT 4.2



                           CERTIFICATE OF DESIGNATIONS

                                       OF

                    SERIES A JUNIOR PARTICIPATING CUMULATIVE
                                 PREFERRED STOCK

                           (PAR VALUE $.001 PER SHARE)

                                       OF

                          DOCUMENT SCIENCES CORPORATION



                         PURSUANT TO SECTION 151 OF THE
                GENERAL CORPORATION LAW OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE



        Document Sciences Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the
"Corporation"), certifies that pursuant to the authority conferred upon the
Board of Directors of the Company (the "Board of Directors") by the Certificate
of Incorporation of the Company (the "Certificate of Incorporation"), and in
accordance with the provisions of Section 151 of the General Corporation Law of
the State of Delaware, as amended (the "GCL"), the Board of Directors, on April
24, 2001 adopted the following resolution creating a series of its Preferred
Stock, par value $.001 per share:

        RESOLVED, that (1) pursuant to the authority conferred upon the Board of
Directors of the Corporation by the Certificate of Incorporation of the
Corporation, the Board of Directors hereby designates 500,000 shares of the
preferred stock, par value $.001 per share, of the Corporation as "Series A
Junior Participating Cumulative Preferred Stock" (the "Preferred Shares"), and
the powers, designations, preferences and relative, participating, optional and
other rights of the Preferred Shares and the qualifications, limitations and
restrictions thereof, be, and they hereby are, as set forth below (the
"Certificate of Designations") and (2) in connection therewith, the officers of
the Corporation be, and each of them hereby is, authorized, empowered and
directed on behalf of the Corporation and in its name to execute and file the
Certificate of Designations with the Delaware Secretary of State:

        Section 1. Designation and Amount. The shares of such series shall be
designated as "Series A Junior Participating Cumulative Preferred Stock" and the
number of shares constituting such series so designated shall be 500,000 (the
"Series A Preferred Stock"). Such number of shares may be increased or decreased
by resolution of the Board of Directors; provided, however, that no decrease
shall reduce the number of shares of Series A Preferred Stock to a number less
than the number of shares then outstanding plus the number of shares reserved
for issuance upon the exercise of outstanding options, rights or warrants or
upon the conversion of any outstanding securities issued by the Corporation
convertible into Series A Preferred Stock.

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        Section 2.  Dividends and Distributions.

        (a) Subject to the rights of the holders of any shares of any series of
Preferred Stock (or any similar stock) ranking prior and superior to the Series
A Preferred Stock with respect to dividends, the holders of shares of Series A
Preferred Stock, in preference to the holders of shares of Common Stock, par
value $.001 per share (the "Common Stock"), of the Corporation, and of any other
junior stock, shall be entitled to receive, when, as and if declared by the
Board of Directors out of funds legally available for the purpose, quarterly
dividends payable in cash on the first day of March, June, September and
December in each year (each such date being referred to herein as a "Quarterly
Dividend Payment Date"), commencing on the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date
after the first issuance of a share or fraction of a share of Series A Preferred
Stock, in an amount per share (rounded to the nearest cent) equal to the greater
of (i) $.25 per share ($1.00 per annum) or (ii) subject to the provision for
adjustment hereinafter set forth, 100 times the aggregate per share amount of
all cash dividends, and 100 times the aggregate per share amount (payable in
kind) of all non-cash dividends or other distributions, other than a dividend
payable in shares of Common Stock or a subdivision of the outstanding shares of
Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise), declared on the Common Stock
since the immediately preceding Quarterly Dividend Payment Date or, with respect
to the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, since the first issuance of any
share or fraction of a share of Series A Preferred Stock. In the event the
Corporation shall at any time declare or pay any dividend on the Common Stock
payable in shares of Common Stock, or effect a subdivision or combination or
consolidation of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by reclassification or
otherwise than by payment of a dividend in shares of Common Stock) into a
greater or lesser number of shares of Common Stock, then in each such event the
amount to which the holder of each share of Series A Preferred Stock was
entitled immediately prior to such event under clause (ii) of the preceding
sentence shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction, the
numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding
immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of
shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately prior to such event.

        (b) The Corporation shall declare a dividend or distribution on the
Series A Preferred Stock as provided in paragraph (a) of this Section 2
immediately after it declares a dividend or distribution on the Common Stock
(other than a dividend payable in shares of Common Stock); provided, however,
that, in the event no dividend or distribution shall have been declared on the
Common Stock during the period between any Quarterly Dividend Payment Date and
the next subsequent Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, a dividend of $.25 per
share ($1.00 per annum) on the Series A Preferred Stock shall nevertheless be
payable on such subsequent Quarterly Dividend Payment Date.

        (c) Dividends shall begin to accrue and be cumulative on outstanding
shares of Series A Preferred Stock from the Quarterly Dividend Payment Date next
preceding the date of issue of such shares, unless the date of issue of such
shares is prior to the record date for the first Quarterly Dividend Payment
Date, in which event dividends on such shares shall begin to accrue from the
date of issue of such shares, or unless the date of issue is a Quarterly
Dividend Payment Date or is a date after the record date for the determination
of holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock entitled to receive a quarterly
dividend and before such Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, in either of which
events such dividends shall begin to accrue and be cumulative from such
Quarterly Dividend Payment Date. Accrued but unpaid dividends shall cumulate but



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shall not bear interest. Dividends paid on the shares of Series A Preferred
Stock in an amount less than the total amount of such dividends at the time
accrued and payable on such shares shall be allocated pro rata on a
share-by-share basis among all such shares at the time outstanding. The Board of
Directors may fix a record date for the determination of holders of shares of
Series A Preferred Stock entitled to receive payment of a dividend or
distribution declared thereon, which record date shall be not more than 60 days
prior to the date fixed for the payment thereof.

        Section 3. Voting Rights. The holders of shares of Series A Preferred
Stock shall have the following voting rights:

        (a) Subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth, each
share of Series A Preferred Stock shall entitle the holder thereof to 100 votes
on all matters submitted to a vote of the stockholders of the Corporation. In
the event the Corporation shall at any time declare or pay any dividend on the
Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, or effect a subdivision or
combination or consolidation of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by
reclassification or otherwise than by payment of a dividend in shares of Common
Stock) into a greater or lesser number of shares of Common Stock, then in each
such case the number of votes per share to which holders of shares of Series A
Preferred Stock were entitled immediately prior to such event shall be adjusted
by multiplying such number by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number
of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the
denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding
immediately prior to such event.

        (b) Except as otherwise provided herein, in the Corporation's
Certificate of Incorporation, as amended (the "Charter"), in any other
certificate of designations creating a series of Preferred Stock or any similar
stock or by law, the holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock and the
holders of shares of Common Stock and any other capital stock of the Corporation
having general voting rights shall vote together as one class on all matters
submitted to a vote of stockholders of the Corporation.

        (c) Except as set forth herein, or as otherwise provided by law, holders
of Series A Preferred Stock shall have no special voting rights and their
consent shall not be required (except to the extent they are entitled to vote
with holders of Common Stock as set forth herein) for taking any corporate
action.

        Section 4.  Certain Restrictions.

        (a) Whenever quarterly dividends or other dividends or distributions
payable on the Series A Preferred Stock as provided in Section 2 are in arrears,
thereafter and until all accrued and unpaid dividends and distributions, whether
or not authorized or declared, on shares of Series A Preferred Stock outstanding
shall have been paid in full, the Corporation shall not, directly or indirectly:

               (i) authorize, declare or pay dividends on, or make any other
distributions with respect to, any shares of stock ranking junior (either as to
dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) to the Series A
Preferred Stock;

              (ii) authorize, declare or pay dividends on, or make any other
distributions with respect to, any shares of stock ranking on a parity (either
as to dividends or upon liquidation,



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dissolution or winding up) with the Series A Preferred Stock, except dividends
paid ratably on the Series A Preferred Stock and all such parity stock on which
dividends are payable or in arrears in proportion to the total amounts to which
the holders of all such shares are then entitled;

             (iii) redeem or purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration
shares of any stock ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon liquidation,
dissolution or winding up) to the Series A Preferred Stock, provided that the
Corporation may at any time redeem, purchase or otherwise acquire shares of any
such junior stock in exchange for shares of any stock of the Corporation ranking
junior (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up)
to the Series A Preferred Stock; or

              (iv) redeem or purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any
shares of Series A Preferred Stock, or any shares of stock ranking on a parity
with the Series A Preferred Stock, except in accordance with a purchase offer
made in writing or by publication (as determined by the Board of Directors) to
all holders of such shares upon such terms as the Board of Directors, after
consideration of the respective annual dividend rates and other relative rights
and preferences of the respective series and classes, shall determine in good
faith will result in fair and equitable treatment among the respective series or
classes.

        (b) The Corporation shall not permit any subsidiary of the Corporation
to purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration, directly or indirectly, any
shares of stock of the Corporation unless the Corporation could, under paragraph
(a) of this Section 4, purchase or otherwise acquire such shares at such time
and in such manner.

        Section 5. Reacquired Shares. Any shares of Series A Preferred Stock
purchased or otherwise acquired by the Corporation in any manner whatsoever
shall be retired and canceled promptly after the acquisition thereof. All such
shares shall upon their cancellation become authorized but unissued shares of
Preferred Stock and may be reissued as part of a new series of Preferred Stock
subject to the conditions and restrictions on issuance set forth herein, in the
Charter, in any other certificate of designations creating a series of Preferred
Stock or any similar stock or as otherwise required by law.

        Section 6. Liquidation, Dissolution or Winding Up. Upon any liquidation,
dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, no distribution shall be made to:
(i) the holders of shares of stock ranking junior (either as to dividends or
upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) to the Series A Preferred Stock
unless, prior thereto, the holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall
have received the greater of (A) $100.00 per share ($1.00 per one one-hundredth
of a share), plus an amount equal to accrued and unpaid dividends and
distributions thereon, whether or not declared, to the date of such payment, or
(B) an aggregate amount per share, subject to the provision for adjustment
hereinafter set forth, equal to 100 times the aggregate amount to be distributed
per share of Common Stock to holders thereof; or (ii) the holders of shares of
stock ranking on a parity (either as to dividends or upon liquidation,
dissolution or winding up) with the Series A Preferred Stock, except
distributions made ratably on the Series A Preferred Stock and all such parity
stock in proportion to the total amounts to which the holders of all such shares
are entitled upon such liquidation, dissolution or winding up. In the event the
Corporation shall at any time declare or pay any dividend on the Common Stock
payable in shares of Common Stock, or effect a subdivision or combination or
consolidation of the outstanding shares of Common Stock



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(by reclassification or otherwise than by payment of a dividend in shares of
Common Stock) into a greater or lesser number of shares of Common Stock, then in
each such event the aggregate amount to which each holder of a share of Series A
Preferred Stock was entitled immediately prior to such event under clause (i) of
the preceding sentence shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a
fraction, the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock
outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the
number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately prior to such event.

        Section 7. Consolidation, Merger or Other. In the event the Corporation
shall enter into any consolidation, merger, combination or other transaction in
which the shares of Common Stock are exchanged for or changed into other stock
or securities, cash and/or any other property or otherwise changed, then in any
such event each share of Series A Preferred Stock shall at the same time be
similarly exchanged or changed into an amount per share, subject to the
provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth, equal to 100 times the aggregate
amount of stock, securities, cash and/or any other property (payable in kind),
as the case may be, into which or for which each share of Common Stock is
changed or exchanged. In the event the Corporation shall at any time declare or
pay any dividend on the Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, or
effect a subdivision or combination or consolidation of the outstanding shares
of Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise than by payment of a dividend
in shares of Common Stock) into a greater or lesser number of shares of Common
Stock, then in each such event the amount set forth in the preceding sentence
with respect to the exchange or change of shares of Series A Preferred Stock
shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction, the numerator of
which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such
event, and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock
outstanding immediately prior to such event.

        Section 8. No Redemption. The shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall
not be redeemable.

        Section 9. Rank. The Series A Preferred Stock shall rank, with respect
to the payment of dividends and the distribution of assets, junior to all series
or classes of the Corporation's Preferred Stock whether issued before or after
the issuance of the Series A Preferred Stock.

        Section 10. Amendment. The Charter shall not be amended in any manner
that would materially alter or change the powers, preferences or special rights
of the Series A Preferred Stock, as set forth herein, so as to affect them
adversely without the affirmative vote of the holders of at least two-thirds of
the outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock, voting together as a single
class.



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        IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Document Sciences Corporation has caused this
Certificate of Designations to be executed on its behalf by its Executive Vice
President, Daniel J. Fregeau, and attested to by its Chief Executive Officer,
John L. McGannon on this 11th day of May, 2001.


                                             DOCUMENT SCIENCES CORPORATION

                                             By:    /s/ Daniel J. Fregeau
                                             Name:  Daniel J. Fregeau
                                             Title: Executive Vice President



        THE UNDERSIGNED, the Chief Executive Officer of Document Sciences
Corporation, hereby acknowledges, in the name and on behalf of said corporation,
the foregoing Certificate of Designations to be the corporate act of said
corporation and further certifies that, to the best of his knowledge,
information and belief, the matters and facts set forth therein with respect to
the approval thereof or otherwise required to be verified under oath are true in
all material respects, under the penalties of perjury.



By:  /s/ John L. McGannon
Name:  John L. McGannon
Title: President and Chief
       Executive Officer



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