1. A method for driving a display device forming part of a smartcard, which method comprises a plurality of pixels each of which is sandwiched between a first electrode and a pixel electrode, and each of which is capable of displaying a first color or a second color, the method comprising applying a driving sequence which comprises: a) for a first time period, applying a first voltage potential between the first electrode and the pixel electrodes of a first group of pixels, and applying no voltage potential between the first electrode and the pixel electrodes of a second group of pixels of the second color, thereby causing the display device to display an image of the first color with a background of the second color; b) for a second time period, applying no voltage potential between the first electrode and the pixel electrodes of the first group of pixels, and applying a second voltage potential to the pixel electrodes corresponding to the second group of pixels, to clear the onetime image created in step (a); and c) for a third time period, applying a third voltage potential between the first electrode, and the pixel electrodes of both the first and second groups of pixels; wherein the lengths of the first, second and third time periods are equal, and the driving sequence is substantially DC balanced.