An electronically controllable/programmable sign comprises a multi-layer display device, a display driver (94) for applying at least one field across the image layer in accordance with a display signal, and a controller (96) for providing the display signal to the display driver. The multilayer display device includes at least one image layer (12, 62, 74). The image layer has one or more regions (12, 12A, 12B) of reflective media whose reflectivity changes in response to an applied fields. An electronically conductive layer (10) is positioned on one side of the image layer; and a counterelectrode layer (14) is positioned on the other side of the image layer.