A low optical contrast ratio is the major drawback of quick-response liquid powder displays (QRLPDs). In this paper, the electro-optical response of the QRLPD is analyzed, and better optical contrast is found to be obtained if the display is driven by pulse number modulation (PNM). However, PNM driving requires a longer driving duration. To achieve a successful trade-off between image contrast and driving duration, the QR-LPD requires a customized driving waveform. A programmed driving waveform and a design process are proposed. Experimental results show that the programmed driving waveform reduces the driving duration by up to 36.5% compared to conventional methods.