diff --git a/USAGE.md b/USAGE.md
index 1d5767b86..0f29bbde0 100644
--- a/USAGE.md
+++ b/USAGE.md
@@ -2245,6 +2245,18 @@ Helpers are provided to manipulate an `nccell`'s `channels` member. They are
 all implemented in terms of the lower-level [Channels API](#channels).
 
 ```c
+// Extract the 32-bit background channel from a cell.
+static inline uint32_t
+nccell_bchannel(const nccell* cl){
+  return ncchannels_bchannel(cl->channels);
+}
+
+// Extract the 32-bit foreground channel from a cell.
+static inline uint32_t
+nccell_fchannel(const nccell* cl){
+  return ncchannels_fchannel(cl->channels);
+}
+
 // Extract 24 bits of foreground RGB from 'cl', shifted to LSBs.
 static inline uint32_t
 nccell_fg_rgb(const nccell* cl){
diff --git a/doc/man/man3/notcurses_cell.3.md b/doc/man/man3/notcurses_cell.3.md
index 77262e9a4..9a886cd02 100644
--- a/doc/man/man3/notcurses_cell.3.md
+++ b/doc/man/man3/notcurses_cell.3.md
@@ -78,6 +78,14 @@ typedef struct nccell {
 
 **char* nccell_extract(const struct ncplane* ***n***, const nccell* ***c***, uint16_t* ***stylemask***, uint64_t* ***channels***);**
 
+**uint32_t nccell_bchannel(const nccell* ***c***);**
+
+**uint32_t nccell_fchannel(const nccell* ***c***);**
+
+**uint64_t nccell_set_bchannel(nccell* ***c***, uint32_t ***channel***);**
+
+**uint64_t nccell_set_fchannel(nccell* ***c***, uint32_t ***channel***);**
+
 **uint32_t nccell_fg_rgb(const nccell* ***c***);**
 
 **uint32_t nccell_bg_rgb(const nccell* ***c***);**