A multi-colored pixelated display comprising an image display element and a transparent display cover, wherein: the image display element comprises an array of display pixels, each display pixel divided into a plurality of display sub-pixels, each display sub-pixel associated with a respective dedicated display color component, wherein the sub-pixels of a given color component, across multiple display pixels, form a sub-pixel array of that given color component; the transparent display cover comprises a display surface that is susceptible to marking and a sparkle reduction surface positioned between the image display element and the display surface along an optical path of the pixelated display, which sparkle reduction surface is spaced from the image display element by an optical distance D; the sparkle reduction surface is formed by a periodic diffraction element that diffracts the light emitted by sub-pixels in at least one direction in plan view and that has a grating period T in said direction in the order of microns to hundreds of microns, the light being diffracted in said at least one direction by a lateral displacement distance Δx at the display surface which is larger than the size of a sub pixel in said at least one direction and smaller than or equal to the pitch x of the array of display pixels in said at least one direction, characterised in that the diffraction element has a profile depth b and an index of refraction n 1 that are selected such that the phase modulation amplitude in reflection Φ R for reflections of light at the sparkling reduction surface approximates an integer multiple of a wavelength λ G between 490 nm and 570 nm to the inherent degree of uncertainty attributed to the measurement of said parameters, where Φ R = 2 n 1 b. the image display element comprises an array of display pixels, each display pixel divided into a plurality of display sub-pixels, each display sub-pixel associated with a respective dedicated display color component, wherein the sub-pixels of a given color component, across multiple display pixels, form a sub-pixel array of that given color component; the transparent display cover comprises a display surface that is susceptible to marking and a sparkle reduction surface positioned between the image display element and the display surface along an optical path of the pixelated display, which sparkle reduction surface is spaced from the image display element by an optical distance D; the sparkle reduction surface is formed by a periodic diffraction element that diffracts the light emitted by sub-pixels in at least one direction in plan view and that has a grating period T in said direction in the order of microns to hundreds of microns, the light being diffracted in said at least one direction by a lateral displacement distance Δx at the display surface which is larger than the size of a sub pixel in said at least one direction and smaller than or equal to the pitch x of the array of display pixels in said at least one direction, characterised in that the diffraction element has a profile depth b and an index of refraction n 1 that are selected such that the phase modulation amplitude in reflection Φ R for reflections of light at the sparkling reduction surface approximates an integer multiple of a wavelength λ G between 490 nm and 570 nm to the inherent degree of uncertainty attributed to the measurement of said parameters, where Φ R = 2 n 1 b.