Any chance of a return of color labels?

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Level 1

22 points

Any chance of a return of color labels?

Its been years, and the finder workflow issues, when dealing with hundreds of files is till the same. Some of us just would profit from the possibility to add visual markers, to easily attach color labels to files.

And please don´t bother to explain tags, I know how they work and how to use them – they just dont apply to the same issues.

Would it be so hard to enable at least the possibility for people who need or want it?

PS: I am an UX Designer, I like to think that I know one or two things about User Interfaces...the way apple wants us to deal with thousands of files, all looking alike and therefore forces us to read every single file name to find something ist just ridiculous! I know Apple was and maybe still is the GOAT concerning usability and interfaces – maybe thats the reason this annoying detail still triggers me on a daily basis, years after the feature was eliminated...

Best regards,

Juergen

Posted on Jan 20, 2022 3:44 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

VikingOSX

Level 10

126,516 points

Jan 20, 2022 9:54 AM in response to jürgen144

You can send feedback directly to the macOS product team about the return of the Mountain Lion and earlier color label design in the Finder. As the product teams do not participate in these fellow user-supported communities, they won't see your comments here.

Yes, it is a feature, and in order to provide it, a different label styling would need reintroduction in Finder. Apple is driven by its operating system visual design, and that is not always congruent to user need.

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Answer 2

Jan 20, 2022 4:50 AM in response to jürgen144

Since this is a user to user forum, Apple does not follow these discussions.

But, you can tell them about your thought by using the Feedback Link:

Product Feedback - Apple

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Answer 3

VikingOSX

Level 10

126,516 points

Jan 20, 2022 5:29 AM in response to jürgen144

Color (lozenge) labels were last used in the Finder styles for OS X Mountain Lion in 2013. Starting with OS X Mavericks in Fall 2013, that Finder label style was dropped for the tag style. I would say that after eight years of tags, Apple will not be bringing back the UI design of Mountain Lion.

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Answer 4

Meg The Dog

Level 6

13,896 points

Jan 20, 2022 9:56 AM in response to jürgen144

This post is from 2014, but see if anything in it is useful:

https://www.provideocoalition.com/get-those-nice-bright-macos-finder-label-colors-back/

MtD

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Answer 5

jürgen144 Author

Level 1

22 points

Jan 20, 2022 5:38 AM in response to VikingOSX

Its not about bringing back a „design“, ist about bringing back a feature, which was replaced by a different feature. „Tags“ may be useful for special purposes, but they do not achieve quick organizing and/or better visual orientation within folders.

and I dont wnat to force ghis on anybody, I just dont see why MacOs does not provide the possibility to handle files that way, if users want to.

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Answer 6

Jan 20, 2022 9:27 AM in response to jürgen144

Automator can be helpful for creating custom icons (can be used to create custom icons for a camera that isn't yet supported by macOS). I suppose it would be possible to distinguish icons in some way (e.g. adding a coloured border) using a similar approach.

The AppleScript code below is an example of how to add a border to an image.

- Pie Lover

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