A display having a plurality of reflective display elements. In one
embodiment, the display elements comprise at least one electrode having a
plurality of active areas. In one embodiment, at least two of the sizes
of the active areas are different with respect to each other, e.g., they
are non-uniform in size. The interferometric modulators have a plurality
of states, wherein selected ones of the interferometric modulators are
configured to be actuated depending differing electrostatic forces in the
interferometric modulators. The electrostatic forces in the
interferometric modulators are different at least in part due to
variations in the sizes of the active areas of the electrodes.