The ASC Color Decision List is a framework developed by the Society’s Technology Committee that allows the interchange of basic RGB color-correction information between equipment and software made by different manufacturers. Although the basic controls of most color-correction systems are similar, they differ in specific implementation. The terms Lift (for dark tones), Gain (highlights), and Gamma (mid-tones) are commonly used by most color-correction systems, but those definitions may vary in detail from system to system and manufacturer to manufacturer.

To avoid confusion, the ASC proposed a set of three defined transfer functions with unique names: Offset (lift), Slope (gain) and Power (gamma). Each function uses one number for the red channel, a second for the green and a third for the blue. Thus, the three transfer functions for the three color components can collectively be described by nine parameters.  A tenth number, Saturation, was specified in Version 1.2 of the ASC CDL, and is applied to all three channels together.