Installing Door Edge Guards

The very stylish and color specific Prius door edge guards arrived today and require some minor "creative" installation. According to the directions, and I quote; the installer (yours truly) is to trim the flange sealant material from the interior door surface and paint the exposed area.
So here's the question, what type of tool is best suited for removing the the sealant material? Does it come off like a zipper or do I have to continue to scrape (gasp) the entire length of the installation area?
Unfortunately, the door edge guards are not the simple "place and tap" style. However, they do look great and the color matches perfectly.
Many thanks!