Cels Forum

I think that you will have to cut very close to the edges of
the paint if you want to get enough paper off for display
with a background.  I've had a number of cels before which
have had sketches torn off by previous owners, and there are
often annoying little bits of paper left clinging to the
edges of fine details like hair.  These show up very well
against any sort of non-white background.  I would recommend
detaching the paper by gentle peeling (or one of the other
methods suggested on the forum) at least around the edges
of the painted area.  You could then cut to leave only the
central stuck portions.

I have used a rather odd method for unsticking large very
stuck areas with quite a bit of success.  I lay the cel face-
down on a flat surface, then insert my hand between cel and
sketch, palm towards the sketch.  Then I slide my fingernails
along the stuck interface in gentle arcs, working around the
edges of the stuck area, and never trying to free too much
at once.  The fingernails pry loose partially-stuck sections,
and for the truly bonded bits sort of slice the _very_ top 
layer of the paper off very close to the paint.  This means
there is little leverage being applied to the paint, and no 
unsightly trailing paper pieces left behind.  This method is 
fairly kind to the sketch, as well.  The only problem is that 
it really requires long fingernails on all the fingers of one
hand, something that I can't achieve that often.  :-)

--Atiya