Import a DaVinci .cdl Color Grade on Your Phone
On a real production the grade is decided on a desktop colorist’s suite — as an ASC CDL. ExpoCut speaks that format: import the .cdl and your phone edit carries the exact same primary grade. Here’s how to bring a desktop grade in.
On a real production, the grade is decided on a desktop colorist’s suite — and the way it travels between apps is the ASC Color Decision List. ExpoCut reads it. So a grade roughed in on a DaVinci Resolve timeline can come to your phone exactly as the colorist set it, and you can finish the cut without a translation step.
What ASC CDL actually is
CDL stores a primary grade in a tiny, portable form:
- Slope — gain (like multiplying each channel).
- Offset — lift (adding to each channel).
- Power — gamma (the midtone curve).
- Saturation — overall color intensity.
Per RGB channel, that’s the backbone of any primary grade — and because it’s standardized, every major tool writes and reads it the same way. A .cdl holds one grade; a .ccc (Color Correction Collection) holds several.
Step 1 — Import the .cdl
In the Templates gallery, tap + From other editors and pick your .cdl or .ccc file (the same place that reads .mogrt, Lottie and FCPXML — see importing from other editors). ExpoCut detects the format and reads the grade.
Imported as a CDL grade
Detected ASC CDL — straight from the desktop
Step 2 — Wrap your footage in the grade
The imported grade opens as a project with a footage slot — drop in your clip and the CDL’s primary grade is applied to it. Because it’s the same math everywhere, what lands on your phone matches what the desktop tool produced.
Drop in your footage
…and the imported grade wraps it
CDL for matching, LUT for look. A CDL carries a balanced, shot-matched primary grade; layer a creative LUT on top for the final look. Keeping the two separate is exactly what desktop colorists do.
Where this fits a real pipeline
Rough the shoot on set, hand the footage to a colorist who balances it in DaVinci, then take their .cdl back to your phone to assemble and ship a social cut that still matches the hero project’s color. The grade is the colorist’s; the speed is yours.
Where to go next
- The look layer on top: how to use & import LUTs.
- Hands-on color basics: color grading on your phone.
- Other formats you can bring in: import from CapCut, After Effects & more.
Import the .cdl, wrap your footage, finish on your phone — ExpoCut drops into a professional color pipeline instead of standing outside it.
Frequently asked questions
What is ASC CDL?
The ASC Color Decision List is a film-industry standard for exchanging primary color grades between applications. It stores slope, offset, and power per RGB channel plus an overall saturation — a compact, portable grade that DaVinci Resolve, Premiere, and Final Cut all understand and write.
Can I bring a grade from DaVinci Resolve into ExpoCut?
Yes. Export the grade as a .cdl or .ccc Color Decision List from DaVinci (or Premiere/FCP), then import it with ExpoCut's 'From other editors' option. ExpoCut detects the ASC CDL format and brings the grade in, ready to wrap your footage.
Why use CDL instead of just a filter?
CDL is standardized and portable, so a colorist's decisions travel cleanly between tools and stay consistent across a whole production. Filters and LUTs are great for looks; CDL carries an exchangeable, shot-matched primary grade from a professional pipeline.
Related guides
Bring desktop color to your phone
Import an ASC CDL grade from DaVinci, Premiere or FCP and finish the cut on your phone — the colorist's exact decisions, no translation step.
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