Q: How to get label colors back on Maverick?

That IS a somewhat viable solution. I had created a desktop a few years ago that had a similar layout. It's most effective if you are limited to a few specific files that can remain in the various colored areas. Also, you have to be good enough at creating the desktop that will accomodate the files in the arrangement that the grid spacing (if you use that) uses.

For those who use the desktop to layout and organize (kind of the whole idea about a "desktop"), I think that's a good idea.

That wallpaper idea may be somewhat useful if you have the same label colors in the same Desktop area, but not if they are mixed with other label colors. Besides limiting the working area for each label color. Definitely, Apple must bring the full label colors back in its full splendor!

You don't even need to make colored areas -- just build fences -- a few lines dividing the desktop area into segments...  Use your favorite desktop background and divide away.  (Boxes might be faster and easier, but would have to be made transparent.)

I have one person on staff here in my office who has been whining and crying about the inability to group folders by color on his desktop (he didn't go for the desktop window either) and I'm going to suggest this (colored areas or fences) to him when he returns from vacation.

Here's a version that I did years ago (when my desktop was simpler):

Hello Humansrule,

Thanks--and not so nutty for us 'non techies'.  I tried that actually way before the Mavericks debacle, but I didn't take the time to design an interesting wallpaper background and it really wasn't that helpful for the way I do things after all. I'm using Xtrafinder too and it is somewhat satisfying for the present.  When I need to find something on my desktop, I use the finder now, instead of being able to visually go to it immediately.  Not nearly as much fun.

Regards,

Barbara (BarbyGale)

For everyone who has been bemoaning the fact that XtraFinder doesn't color desktop labels -- the NEWEST update does just that!  Look in Preferences, under the Appearance tab -- the very last item is "Enabled for Desktop."  Think maybe the developer has been reading this thread?

I also emailed him to say thanks, but haven't heard anything back.

OMG OMG OMG! Thank you SO much, Abbelougee, for pointing this out! Now, I can't wait to reinstall the new version!

WOW--how amazing.  I had updated to newest version earlier in the day and hadn't gone back to the computer.  Good for them.  Not the polished 'bubbles' of Mac's originals--but I'm not complaining--Xtrafinder has won the prize!!!

Yay! Too bad developer doesn't respond to emails. I'll try again.

Hi,

This Antonin, the developer of TotalFinder. Over last few weeks I jumped through hoops to get colored labels implemented correctly in all Finder modes.

I'm happy to announce that the mission was successful and you can have pre-Mavericks-style labels back:

http://totalfinder.binaryage.com/colored-labels

Please note that this will be officialy available in TotalFinder 1.6 in near future, but you can already test it in latest TotalFinder beta releases:

http://totalfinder.binaryage.com/beta-changes

Your feedback is welcome.

1. Xtrafinder is free. TotalFinder costs $18. I think it is PathFinder that is $40.

How is TotalFinder or PathFinder better?

2. What is the story behind free software like XtraFinder? 

How and why does it get made, promoted and supported when there doesnt seem to be any economic incentive?

Well, I'm not the right unbiased person to make a review of those apps for you.

If you are interested how apps like ours get made, you can follow the story of TotalFinder since late 2009 on my blog:

http://blog.binaryage.com/totalfinder-alpha

TotalFinder had been a free (alpha) during the first year or so. Then I started to work fulltime on it and started charging money for it. I think XtraFinder follows the same model. At least they have declared XtraFinder is going to be a paid app in the future.

I offer email support. I have not charged any upgrade fees so far. So people who bought it in the early days got really good value out of it (I believe).

If you want to hear more (biased) reasons, please read this page:

http://totalfinder.binaryage.com/reasons-to-buy

tmcdanel wrote:

1. Xtrafinder is free. TotalFinder costs $18. I think it is PathFinder that is $40.

How is TotalFinder or PathFinder better?

I first tried the free XtraFinder.  It would not let me multi-select a number of items with a swiping mouse gesture over the items.  That, for me, was a show-stopper.  (Maybe that doesn't matter much to others, which would make XF an okay solution -- I was generally happy with the rest of its features.)

For my case, it has been well worth the $18 to have TotalFinder restore the coloring (and to retain other key functionality, such as the multi-select).  In the short time I've been using it I've seen the developer be very responsive, giving us coloring of desktop items and aliases (another key aspect for me) in  a series of 'beta' releases (which we have to option to subscribe to, or not).

I did not try PathFinder because so earlier posts in this thread indicated that it was for more complex workflow kinds of operation -- overkill for what I was trying to achieve.

Hello,

I made a folder full of different coloured folders created with Photoshop, and I use copy-paste in the info window to change the colour of the folder icon.

This is slow.

Could someone make a simple right-click menu with automator to be able to chose one of these icons and input it in the selected folder(s) ?

I didn't succeed to do such a script, but it would be a simple and useful thing.

What's a "right-click"?............