diff --git a/rust/examples/direct-cursor.rs b/rust/examples/direct-cursor.rs
index 17f649c75..8c818b0bb 100644
--- a/rust/examples/direct-cursor.rs
+++ b/rust/examples/direct-cursor.rs
@@ -3,20 +3,6 @@
 //! Explore cursor functions in direct mode
 //!
 
-// utility macro: sleep for $ms milliseconds
-macro_rules! sleep {
-    ($ms:expr) => {
-        std::thread::sleep(std::time::Duration::from_millis($ms));
-    };
-}
-
-// utility macro: convert the String $s to *mut CString
-macro_rules! cstring {
-    ($s:expr) => {
-        std::ffi::CString::new($s).unwrap().as_ptr();
-    }
-}
-
 use libnotcurses_sys::*;
 
 fn main() {
diff --git a/rust/examples/full-basics.rs b/rust/examples/full-basics.rs
index d32f0ad10..154de456d 100644
--- a/rust/examples/full-basics.rs
+++ b/rust/examples/full-basics.rs
@@ -1,17 +1,3 @@
-// utility macro: sleep for $ms milliseconds
-macro_rules! sleep {
-    ($ms:expr) => {
-        std::thread::sleep(std::time::Duration::from_millis($ms));
-    };
-}
-
-// utility macro: convert the String $s to *mut CString
-// macro_rules! cstring {
-//     ($s:expr) => {
-//         std::ffi::CString::new($s).unwrap().as_ptr();
-//     }
-// }
-
 use libnotcurses_sys::*;
 
 fn main() {
@@ -22,7 +8,7 @@ fn main() {
         let stdplane = notcurses_stdplane(nc);
 
         for ch in "Initializing cells...".chars() {
-            let cell = NcCell::with_char(ch);
+            let cell = NcCell::with_7bitchar(ch);
             sleep![60];
             ncplane_putc(&mut *stdplane, &cell);
             let _ = notcurses_render(nc);
diff --git a/rust/src/cells/tests.rs b/rust/src/cells/tests.rs
index f75986228..911854846 100644
--- a/rust/src/cells/tests.rs
+++ b/rust/src/cells/tests.rs
@@ -7,17 +7,17 @@ use serial_test::serial;
 #[test]
 #[serial]
 fn constructors() {
-    let _c1 = NcCell::new_blank();
+    let _c1 = NcCell::new();
 
-    let _c2 = NcCell::with_char('C');
+    let _c2 = NcCell::with_7bitchar('C');
 
-    let _c3 = NcCell::new('c', 0, 0);
+    let _c3 = NcCell::with_all('c', 0, 0);
 }
 
 #[test]
 #[serial]
 fn channels() {
-    let mut c1 = NcCell::new_blank();
+    let mut c1 = NcCell::new();
     assert_eq![0, crate::cell_fchannel(&c1)];
     assert_eq![0, crate::cell_bchannel(&c1)];
 
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ fn channels() {
     assert_eq![0xBB445566, crate::cell_bchannel(&c1)];
     assert_eq![0xAA112233BB445566, channels];
 
-    let c2 = NcCell::new(' ', 0, 0x0011223300445566);
+    let c2 = NcCell::with_all(' ', 0, 0x0011223300445566);
     assert_eq![0x112233, crate::cell_fchannel(&c2)];
     assert_eq![0x445566, crate::cell_bchannel(&c2)];
 }
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ fn channels() {
 fn rgb() {
     // rgb
 
-    let mut c1 = NcCell::new_blank();
+    let mut c1 = NcCell::new();
     assert_eq![0, crate::cell_fg_rgb(&c1)];
     assert_eq![0, crate::cell_bg_rgb(&c1)];
 
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ fn rgb() {
 
     // rgb8
 
-    let mut c2 = NcCell::new_blank();
+    let mut c2 = NcCell::new();
     let (mut r, mut g, mut b) = (0, 0, 0);
 
     crate::cell_set_fg_rgb8(&mut c2, 0x11, 0x22, 0x33);
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ fn rgb() {
 #[test]
 #[serial]
 fn alpha() {
-    let mut c1 = NcCell::new_blank();
+    let mut c1 = NcCell::new();
     assert_eq![0, crate::cell_fg_alpha(&c1)];
     assert_eq![0, crate::cell_bg_alpha(&c1)];
 
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ fn alpha() {
 #[test]
 #[serial]
 fn default() {
-    let mut c1 = NcCell::new_blank();
+    let mut c1 = NcCell::new();
     assert_eq![true, crate::cell_fg_default_p(&c1)];
     assert_eq![true, crate::cell_bg_default_p(&c1)];
 
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ fn default() {
 #[test]
 #[serial]
 fn palette() {
-    let mut c1 = NcCell::new_blank();
+    let mut c1 = NcCell::new();
     assert_eq![false, crate::cell_fg_palindex_p(&c1)];
     assert_eq![false, crate::cell_bg_palindex_p(&c1)];
     assert_eq![0, crate::cell_fg_palindex(&c1)];
diff --git a/rust/src/cells/wrapped.rs b/rust/src/cells/wrapped.rs
index 7881d5937..796e33978 100644
--- a/rust/src/cells/wrapped.rs
+++ b/rust/src/cells/wrapped.rs
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
 //! Handy [NcCell] constructors
 
-pub use crate::{NcCell, NcChannelPair, NcCharBackstop, NcStyleMask};
+pub use crate::{NcCell, NcPlane, NcChannelPair, NcCharBackstop, NcStyleMask, cell_load, NCRESULT_ERR, cstring};
 
 impl NcCell {
     /// New NcCell, expects a [char], [NcStyleMask] and [NcChannelPair].
     #[inline]
-    pub const fn new(ch: char, stylemask: NcStyleMask, channels: NcChannelPair) -> Self {
+    pub const fn with_all(ch: char, stylemask: NcStyleMask, channels: NcChannelPair) -> Self {
         NcCell {
             gcluster: ch as u32,
             gcluster_backstop: 0 as NcCharBackstop,
@@ -15,15 +15,33 @@ impl NcCell {
         }
     }
 
-    /// New NcCell, expects a [char].
+    /// New NcCell, expects a 7-bit [char].
+    ///
+    /// See also `with_char`.
     #[inline]
-    pub const fn with_char(ch: char) -> Self {
-        Self::new(ch, 0 as NcStyleMask, 0 as NcChannelPair)
+    pub const fn with_7bitchar(ch: char) -> Self {
+        Self::with_all(ch, 0 as NcStyleMask, 0 as NcChannelPair)
+    }
+
+    /// New NcCell, expects an [NcPlane] and a utf-8 [char].
+    ///
+    /// See also `with_7bitchar`.
+    #[inline]
+    pub fn with_char(plane: &mut NcPlane, ch: char) -> Self {
+        let mut cell = Self::new();
+        let result = unsafe {
+            cell_load(plane,
+                &mut cell,
+                cstring![ch.to_string()],
+            )
+        };
+        debug_assert_ne![NCRESULT_ERR, result];
+        cell
     }
 
     /// New NcCell, blank.
     #[inline]
-    pub const fn new_blank() -> Self {
-        Self::with_char(0 as char)
+    pub const fn new() -> Self {
+        Self::with_7bitchar(0 as char)
     }
 }
diff --git a/rust/src/lib.rs b/rust/src/lib.rs
index e22689d17..3486d437a 100644
--- a/rust/src/lib.rs
+++ b/rust/src/lib.rs
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 #![allow(non_upper_case_globals, non_camel_case_types, non_snake_case)]
 #![allow(clippy::too_many_arguments)]
 
+
 mod bindings;
 #[doc(inline)]
 pub use bindings::*;
@@ -29,6 +30,7 @@ mod file;
 mod input;
 mod key;
 mod keycodes;
+mod macros;
 mod metric;
 mod notcurses;
 mod palette;
@@ -46,6 +48,7 @@ pub use file::*;
 pub use input::*;
 pub use key::*;
 pub use keycodes::*;
+pub use macros::*;
 pub use metric::*;
 pub use notcurses::*;
 pub use palette::*;
diff --git a/rust/src/macros.rs b/rust/src/macros.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9d86c4415
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rust/src/macros.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+//! Macros
+
+/// Sleeps for $ms milliseconds
+#[macro_export]
+macro_rules! sleep {
+    ($ms:expr) => {
+        std::thread::sleep(std::time::Duration::from_millis($ms));
+    };
+}
+
+/// Converts an `&str` to `*mut CString`, for when `*const c_char` is needed.
+#[macro_export]
+macro_rules! cstring {
+    ($s:expr) => {
+        std::ffi::CString::new($s).unwrap().as_ptr();
+    }
+}
diff --git a/rust/src/plane/mod.rs b/rust/src/plane/mod.rs
index 26f41ef64..3d43c6a17 100644
--- a/rust/src/plane/mod.rs
+++ b/rust/src/plane/mod.rs
@@ -303,12 +303,12 @@ pub fn ncplane_double_box(
     #[allow(unused_assignments)]
     let mut ret = NCRESULT_OK;
 
-    let mut ul = NcCell::new_blank();
-    let mut ur = NcCell::new_blank();
-    let mut ll = NcCell::new_blank();
-    let mut lr = NcCell::new_blank();
-    let mut hl = NcCell::new_blank();
-    let mut vl = NcCell::new_blank();
+    let mut ul = NcCell::new();
+    let mut ur = NcCell::new();
+    let mut ll = NcCell::new();
+    let mut lr = NcCell::new();
+    let mut hl = NcCell::new();
+    let mut vl = NcCell::new();
 
     unsafe {
         ret = cells_double_box(
@@ -401,12 +401,12 @@ pub fn ncplane_perimeter_double(
     unsafe {
         ncplane_dim_yx(plane, &mut dimy, &mut dimx);
     }
-    let mut ul = NcCell::new_blank();
-    let mut ur = NcCell::new_blank();
-    let mut ll = NcCell::new_blank();
-    let mut lr = NcCell::new_blank();
-    let mut hl = NcCell::new_blank();
-    let mut vl = NcCell::new_blank();
+    let mut ul = NcCell::new();
+    let mut ur = NcCell::new();
+    let mut ll = NcCell::new();
+    let mut lr = NcCell::new();
+    let mut hl = NcCell::new();
+    let mut vl = NcCell::new();
     if unsafe {
         cells_double_box(
             plane,
@@ -450,12 +450,12 @@ pub fn ncplane_perimeter_rounded(
     unsafe {
         ncplane_dim_yx(plane, &mut dimy, &mut dimx);
     }
-    let mut ul = NcCell::new_blank();
-    let mut ur = NcCell::new_blank();
-    let mut ll = NcCell::new_blank();
-    let mut lr = NcCell::new_blank();
-    let mut hl = NcCell::new_blank();
-    let mut vl = NcCell::new_blank();
+    let mut ul = NcCell::new();
+    let mut ur = NcCell::new();
+    let mut ll = NcCell::new();
+    let mut lr = NcCell::new();
+    let mut hl = NcCell::new();
+    let mut vl = NcCell::new();
     if unsafe {
         cells_rounded_box(
             plane,
@@ -506,7 +506,7 @@ pub fn ncplane_putchar(plane: &mut NcPlane, c: char) -> NcResult {
 // TODO: test char is < 8bit (currently 32bit)
 pub fn ncplane_putchar_yx(plane: &mut NcPlane, y: i32, x: i32, c: char) -> NcResult {
     unsafe {
-        let ce = NcCell::new(c, ncplane_styles(plane), ncplane_channels(plane));
+        let ce = NcCell::with_all(c, ncplane_styles(plane), ncplane_channels(plane));
         ncplane_putc_yx(plane, y, x, &ce)
     }
 }
@@ -709,12 +709,12 @@ pub fn ncplane_rounded_box(
     #[allow(unused_assignments)]
     let mut ret = NCRESULT_OK;
 
-    let mut ul = NcCell::new_blank();
-    let mut ur = NcCell::new_blank();
-    let mut ll = NcCell::new_blank();
-    let mut lr = NcCell::new_blank();
-    let mut hl = NcCell::new_blank();
-    let mut vl = NcCell::new_blank();
+    let mut ul = NcCell::new();
+    let mut ur = NcCell::new();
+    let mut ll = NcCell::new();
+    let mut lr = NcCell::new();
+    let mut hl = NcCell::new();
+    let mut vl = NcCell::new();
 
     unsafe {
         ret = cells_rounded_box(
diff --git a/rust/src/plane/wrapped.rs b/rust/src/plane/wrapped.rs
index 7b0a1db2d..a09a7e7b0 100644
--- a/rust/src/plane/wrapped.rs
+++ b/rust/src/plane/wrapped.rs
@@ -145,14 +145,22 @@ impl NcPlane {
         self.dim_yx().1
     }
 
+    /// Erase every NcCell in the NcPlane, resetting all attributes to normal,
+    /// all colors to the default color, and all cells to undrawn.
+    ///
+    /// All cells associated with this ncplane are invalidated, and must not be
+    /// used after the call, excluding the base cell. The cursor is homed.
+    pub fn erase(&mut self) {
+        unsafe { ncplane_erase(self) }
+    }
+
     ///
-    // FIXME segfaults
     pub fn putc_yx(&mut self, y: i32, x: i32, cell: &NcCell) -> NcResult {
         unsafe { ncplane_putc_yx(self, y, x, cell) }
     }
     
-    // ///
-    // pub fn putc(&mut self) -> NcResult {
-    //     unsafe { ncplane_putc(self) }
-    // }
+    ///
+    pub fn putc(&mut self, cell: &NcCell) -> NcResult {
+        ncplane_putc(self, cell)
+    }
 }