How to get label colors back on Maverick?

How were you using Labels that tags won't do the job? One obvious difference is that unlike labels which colored the entire icon and text area, tags only put a dot of color in the Tag column of list view and a small dot in front of file names in icon view. But other than that, I don't see that tags do anything more than improve on labels since a file could have only one label but can have multiple tags.

This change has really thrown me for a loop and slowed me down in the Finder. It may be difficult to understand unless you rely on colored labels as quick visual reference, as I have done for years.

The tiny dots are not as "glancable" as colored hilghts across the name of a file or folder. In list view, the dots are almost disassociated from the files names being so far from them. What used to be a single glance at colored stripes, is now a shifting of eyes back and forth, switching from reading to color recognition, to reading to verify, to checking the colors again.

It sound whiney to complain about such a seemingly small thing, but I am quite surprised myself to find out how much I relied on hilighted file names, and what a different cognitive exercise is has become now.

Yes, there are lots of alternative ways to find and manage files, but none as easy and glancibly quick as hilighted file names.

Same! It's awful. The little dot just doesnt do it for me. I need the highlight, and it's not a small thing. We relied on these for a lot of things and I hate the way Apple does away with features that are good without any reason or option. If anyone finds a workaround or third party app, please post!

I agree 100%, I had all kinds of files colorized and now I can't "see" them at a glance because now they only have dots... I wish there were an app that could do this.

bikinijack wrote:

I wish there were an app that could do this.

I am guessing that there will be such an app within a week. It is an indispensable feature to those who use it.

Totally agree with you. For what it's worth.

I need these color labels to visually and intellectually distinguish my active files in finder. I am hobbled without the full color labels because of a visual disability combined with a cognitive impairment I suffer. The removal of the full label color feature has damaged my ability to do business and diminished my ability to function with my disabilities.

Apple, like all software companies, is legally obligated to provide me with reasonable accommodation for that disability under the Americans With Disabilities Act ("ADA"). Restore the full color labels now, please, as they existed prior to 10.9. You can still have tags. You can still have color labels for file names. These things are not mutually exclusive. It is not unreasonable to ask that you continue to make reasonable, and legally required, accommodations under the ADA for folks with limited visual ability and/or cognitive disabilities by restoring existing features that have been relied upon for a significant time by people like me. This change has harmed my business and my ability to work.

Yes, I agree - it's much much harder to quickly find what you need. I have thousands of folders which I need to get to quickly and easily and the labels system worked brilliantly. Very annoying!

Jumberbunch wrote:

Well looks like "Path Finder 6 by Cocoatech" (google it) gives you all the old funtionality and more.

Might be a good workaround for you guys who rely heavily on a labeling system rather than a tag one until there's an official change or not.

Jumberbunch found one existing solution called Path Finder. You can find his post here:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/5474093?answerId=23621556022#23621556022&ac_cid=tw123456#23621556

Hi Yrrab,

I think Apple needs to see what you wrote there. Apple doesn't read these forums but they do read feedback you send here:

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

Also, as Tracey said, there's a third party app called PathFinder which adds this feature back. There's another similar app called TotalFinder which may also support this in future if the developer gets enough feedback to let them know this is something we want.

yrrab446 wrote:

I need these color labels to visually and intellectually distinguish my active files in finder. I am hobbled without the full color labels because of a visual disability combined with a cognitive impairment I suffer. The removal of the full label color feature has damaged my ability to do business and diminished my ability to function with my disabilities.

Apple, like all software companies, is legally obligated to provide me with reasonable accommodation for that disability under the Americans With Disabilities Act ("ADA"). Restore the full color labels now, please, as they existed prior to 10.9. You can still have tags. You can still have color labels for file names. These things are not mutually exclusive. It is not unreasonable to ask that you continue to make reasonable, and legally required, accommodations under the ADA for folks with limited visual ability and/or cognitive disabilities by restoring existing features that have been relied upon for a significant time by people like me. This change has harmed my business and my ability to work.

Pathfinder does it. It also solves ANOTHER massive Mavericks problem. VIDEO PREVIEWS! I can finally see everything like I used to without waiting for QT to convert.

Done and Done. Thanks for the tip. I have submitted it to feedback.

Maybe one of these programs will do what you want.

Folders – Color folders

Folders Factory – Color folders

And just where is this little colored dot in list view? I can't find it all, and when I click on the red tag in the column I get all the files on my computer that have a red tag when I just want to see the tagged files in one folder. This totally *****.

I really don't like these new tags either. It will not allow me to change some tags on folders. I deleted my green tag and now its gone forever, can't get it back and can't add it.