The optical absorption and IR spectra of 1,4-dimethylamino anthraquinone (1,4-DMAAQ) in CH(2)Cl(2)/C(2)H(5)OH mixtures have been investigated. The preferential solvation of 1,4-DMAAQ in CH(2)Cl(2)/C(2)H(5)OH mixed solvents has been studied by monitoring the charge transfer band of 1,4-DMAAQ. The optical absorption spectral study indicates that 1,4-DMAAQ is preferentially solvated by CH(2)Cl(2) in CH(2)Cl(2)/C(2)H(5)OH mixtures. This can be confirmed by the observed index of preferential solvation value (delta(s1)) as well as higher mole fraction of CH(2)Cl(2) in the solvation microsphere (x(1)(L)) than in the bulk solvent (x(1)). The CH(2)Cl(2) molecules become more available to enter the solvation shell of 1,4-DMAAQ because of the hydrogen bonded clusters formed by ethanol molecules. This is also evident from the non-linear behavior of the transition energy (E(12)) as well as the absence of synergistic behavior. IR spectral studies show that the observed shifts in the nu(CO) and nu(NH) of 1,4-DMAAQ are due to the dipole-dipole interaction between the 1,4-DMAAQ and the associated ethanol.