Low sustained voltage $(V_s)$ and high luminous efficiency (lumen/Watts) are required for the enhanced performance of an AC PDP. Both are not realized in the same condition, however, because luminous efficiency decreases when the sustained voltage is lowered in most cases. In this study, the three design factors in the front panel of a PDP, i.e., the thickness and position of the bus electrode and the thickness of the dielectric layer, were chosen to investigate how they affect the sustained voltage and the luminous efficiency, and to find a way to optimize them. Two values were given to each of the three design factors, and experiments were done via full factorial design, i.e., with a total of eight conditions, using a 3-in.diagonal test panel. The changes in the sustained voltage and the luminous characteristics were explained in connection with the discharge characteristics of the PDP cells.