Abstract— A new type of ACPDP with a shadow mask (shadow‐mask PDP, SMPDP) has been developed, featuring an effective structure and lower cost. The distinct difference between an SMPDP and a conventional ACPDP is that the dielectric barrier ribs are replaced by a single metal shadow mask. A three‐dimensional self‐consistent fluid model was used to analyze the effects of the shadow‐mask voltage on the discharge for a simplified driving scheme. The simulation results indicate that by selecting the appropriate shadow‐mask voltage, the addressing speed can be improved due to the local strong electric field. The steady discharge in the sustaining period will not be affected by changes in the shadow‐mask voltages in the addressing period. While in the sustaining period, the shadow‐mask‐voltage variation can directly affect the sustaining discharge. The floating shadow mask in the sustaining period is beneficial in achieving a stable sustaining discharge.