Q: How to highlight the entire folder with the tag color, as before?

looks like your fears may be correct, I cannot find a way to change the behavior of highlighting the folder name. I believe tags replaced that.

Best to let apple know this was a feature you would like to see:

http://www.apple.com/feedback/

The "color dot" to which you are referring is the behavior of Mac OS X since Snow Leopard, I'm pretty sure.

Basically, the entire row has the colored label, but when the item is selected, the color is only apparent in a round swatch on the left-hand side of the column.

In Mountain Lion (and lower), deselecting the labeled folder will reveal that the entire row does have the expected color. I don't know if this behavior is different in Mavericks.

mistersquid, S. G. is actually referring to the new Tags feature in Mavericks. This replaces entirely the Labels feature in previous versions of the OS, as far as I can tell.

Labels would let you apply a color highlight to a folder. It would appear as a color behind the entire row.

With Mavericks, however, Labels are gone and are replaced with Tags, which just puts a small colored dot off to the right of the folder name (and it's always like this, not just when you click on the folder), and some of these aren't distinct enough from one another (i.e. purple and gray look almost identical if you're scrolling through a series of "gray" folders pretty quickly—you may miss that one purple dot). Also, like S. G. mentioned, these can be pretty far off in your periphery if you've got long folder names, so this just adds another level of "hard-to-see-ness" (it's a technical term ).

I'm a graphic designer and I have been using Labels to colorize my job folders according to their current status. For example:

No label = job is open/in progress.

The next color schemes were more of a "stop light" effect, going from red to green:

Red = job is approved. Prep final files and send to printer/client.

Yellow = job is done. Prepare job ticket/calculate time for billing.

Green = job is done and job ticket is ready to go (hence the green color) to my co-worker for billing/invoicing.

Gray = job is finished/billed/closed (i.e., I've "grayed it out").

Purple = job transferred to another co-worker (i.e., I got too busy and they're working on it now). This one is a rarer color, and with Tags it's a bit difficult to discern one or two purple (more like a light lavender) dots in a sea of gray ones.

I agree with S. G. and would love to see a stronger means of identifying the status of a project at a glance reappear—perhaps as a selectable alternative to Tags in the Finder preferences (because I can definitely see how the two means of colorizing a folder could compete with one another), like a checkbox to the effect of "Use Labels instead of Tags," similar to the "Open folders in tabs instead of new windows" option.

Feedback submitted. Thanks, yodathejedi, for the link.

Message was edited by: Xiebinrui -- oops, duplicated word. Fixed!

Same problem as S.G. "My only major issue with Mavericks is that labels are now gone, replaced by tags. I need the strong color highlight of labels to organize my files and folders and have quick visual access to important ones" I only get the strong color highlight when I'm going to share the file on an email, I always want it.

Same problem as S.G. and LinaAng: "My only major issue with Mavericks is that labels are now gone, replaced by tags. I need the strong color highlight of labels to organize my files and folders and have quick visual access to important ones" I only get the strong color highlight when I'm going to share the file on an email, I always want it.

I am a graphic designer as well and I used labelling just as you did—well, similarly. The new tags stinks. Wish I'd never gotten Mavericks. Feedback sent to Apple about this. I hope they listen.

Ha, weirdly when I jump into Audacity in Mavericks it still has the old look folders...

Sooo much better!

Another one missing the old Label coloring. The greater flexibility of Tags is great - but if you choose to associate a Tag with a Color (which is optional) then please simply restore the option of the old Label coloring scheme - which is visually easier and superior for many users. Thanks and feedback sent.

THIS CHANGE IS HORRIBLE.  The responsible people could not have talked with any users.  I have been using this feature since my Mac 512 up to the minute before I "downgraded" to this Mavericks thing.

    FIX IT!

Please Please Please change it back to having the whole label in colour - the point is to highlight!

This new style does not highlight and is too subtle.

Thanks and feedback sent.

Please fix.

vs

Add me to the discontented list also...

I do like the whole 'tags' concept and can see myself using it a lot, but the ability to colour the folder and the line is a visual concept I need returned... The dots are too small, too easily missed.

I can see, though, how the coloured line / folder would clash with the 'multiple' tags that I can now add to folders / files, but I'm sure there will be a way around that... One suggestion being to have a separate column beside the name column, showing multiple tags (where present) while the folder takes the colour of the highest priority tag?

A couple of people have also mentioned the 'dot' being on the right - true. Beside the file/folder name would have been much more intuitive, or the ability to move it as a separate column... (see comment above re multiple tags)

Keep tags - but give us back the ability to colour the folders...!

(Yes, I have sent my feedback Apple! If you have a heartfelt opinion on it, I encourage readers to contact them too, but give your suggestions, not just the gripes!)

Cheers!

S.G. ~ It doesn't bring back colored labels, but see this post for coloring folder icons.