A spatial light modulator clocking method, called fast-clear, which employs embedded clear hardware in the SLM to enable the fast-clear bit to generate least-significant short-bit periods and without any bit ordering restrictions. In this method, fast data clears 34 are inserted between block data loads 32,36 within a frame refresh period. This method virtually eliminates the artifacts associated with the earlier reset-release timing method without the bit-ordering restriction of the jog-clear method.