Do you use color labels?

[King Cobra]

In OS 9, we were given the option to highlight the color of our folder/file icons with 7 colors. We could modify the colors to, say, graphite or lime, and our files in Finder windows would have a distinct highlight color on them. The option was brought to OS X in Panther, except we can only alter the 7 colors with hacking, and only the text below an icon is highlighted that color.

With that being said, do you (still) use file/folder color labels, and why/why not? Also, did you used to use them in OS 9?

Personally, I used them a little in OS 9, but I don't bother with them in OS X, probably because the label doesn't stand out as much as it did in OS 9.

[LeeTom]

It always sounds like a nice idea, but I never end up using labels. Ever.

Lee Tom

[jsw]

It always sounds like a nice idea, but I never end up using labels. Ever.

Lee TomDitto. Used them on earlier OS's, a bit. Never now. No particular reason.

[aus_dave]

I use them a bit but only really one colour. I have a client directory with a long list of clients in it and use a red label to mark the currently 'active' clients with projects that are in progress.

[pyrotoaster]

I never really used them before, but I do use them a bit now. Although I can't say I have any real "system" to it (generally, Red equals "Important file" and that's about it).
I like Panther's labels more than the classic ones, though.

[Horrortaxi]

I use them sometimes--mostly to categorize different things or to identify them so that they stand out in column view. They're useful.

[iMeowbot]

I used to use them in the System 7 & 8 days, they were a nice way to have the equivalent of more than one folder in one window. Now that we have File Viewer, er, Finder with the column view, I have the parallel folders I really wanted and can jump between them easily.

[5300cs]

In OS 8.6 and so on, it used to change the color of the folder which made it stand out, so I used it a lot. Now, not as much.

[rendezvouscp]

I actually never liked how the colored folders in Mac OS 9. It didn't stand out to me. But now, I rarely use colored folders, but I do for school work.
–Chase

[emw]

I used to in previous OS versions, mainly because I thought they looked cool. Since they came back in OS X, I haven't even looked at them - I'd rather just subdivide things into folders and manage that way - I can't remember what 7 different color codes mean.

[mkrishnan]

I don't use the ones in Finder. I never used them in older versions of MacOS either.... I use the ones in Mail a little, although there's no training mode for the rules and I'm too lazy to make them work perfectly. But I try to have it work so that messages about my work get red-lighted and messages from my best friends get green-lighted, so they stand out in my inbox....

[kanker]

I do, since my wife and daughter only use the computer for schoolwork I color code their folders so it's easier for them to find them (and not inadvertently screw up the machine).

[JDOG_]

Sometimes.

The main things I use them for are for picture files scattered about my pictures folder and for documents. I'm looking forward to Tiger so I can use automater to color-label my recent documents and keep a rotation going for ease of recognition (although the new search feature will probably blow that out of the water huh?)

I also use them to pick out certain applications I use more than others in the Apps folder, but I certainly don't use the coloring system to its full potential.

On a related topic, it would be pretty nifty if you could use coloring in iTunes & iPhoto to help sort through certain albums quicker than just smart photo albums. I have so many iTunes playlists it's getting out of hand.

[musicpyrite]

I never used them in OS 9, and I don't use them in OS X.

I finded them a little distracting.

[jeremy.king]

I never used them in OS 9, and I don't use them in OS X.

I finded them a little distracting.

How are they distracting if you don't use them?

Anyways. I use them to for visual queues to remind me to do something, like making backups of my webserver - my backup folder is labeled red as a reminder.

[osprey76]

My OS 9 Games folder was red for easy acquisition. That's about all the labelling I've ever done. I suppose if I used my Mac for a living it would be different.

[musicpyrite]

How are they distracting if you don't use them?

I tryed it a couple of times, but I don't like it. So I currently don't use them.

I've also seen them when an application installs red or blue folders, I make it a habit of getting rid of the color.

[MacNeXT]

They came in handy when I downloaded all of the Family Guy episodes from limewire. I color the ones I'd seen. Nothing besides that, but it's a nice feature.

[iLikeMyiMac]

I use them for about 3 of the folders that I use the most but I only really find them useful in the list or columns view.

[Macmaniac]

Red=Super important, beyond that they are useless for me.

[vollspacken]

red = important

orange = to do

green = done


vSpacken

[taylaner]

i never use them ....but it could be cool i will try it :)

[mkrishnan]

They came in handy when I downloaded all of the Family Guy episodes from limewire. I color the ones I'd seen. Nothing besides that, but it's a nice feature.

Oh, I do the same thing with rating stars for recorded radio shows in my iTunes. Color (like JDog said) would be nice for that. That's a good idea for the vids. I should do something like that for journal articles I've downloaded and haven't read. *warms slowly to color labels*

[fowler.]

I find the new labels a little too gawdy. It'd be nice if you were able to control the opacity and remove the 3-D look that they have. Then I might consider using them more.

[spookykids]

Quite alot actually.

Its much easier to find a file/folder inbetween tens of other files when its highlighted.

[Felix_the_Mac]

Just an idea:

write an apple script that will backup all folders which are a particular color.

[Arnel]

I have a folder full of invoices... I labelled them red if they hadn't been paid yet, green if they had.

That's the only use I've found for labels so far.

[~Shard~]

They came in handy when I downloaded all of the Family Guy episodes from limewire. I color the ones I'd seen. Nothing besides that, but it's a nice feature.

Hey, I take offense to that! ;) I admit I've done my share of downloading as well, but Family Guy is one of those series that I am actually willing to pay for - and I did so, when I bought the entire collection on DVD! Download whatever you like, but if something is worth paying for, you should do the right thing!

Anyway, just thought I'd comment on this, being a big Family Guy fan (in case you couldn't tell from my avatar... ;)) I can't wait until the new episodes come out next year! :cool:

[~Shard~]

As for coloring folders, I do use the feature, but only in a limited capacity. In main folders where I have a ton of subfolders (especially in my Documents folder) I'll color code subfolders for easy reference, but that's about it. I actually make more use of custom icons for folders to distinguish them than I do color coding...

[nesuser2]

Purple - Music
Blue - Video

and some others....but I can't remember them right off hand. My question is, does anybody know of a way that you can set it up to automatically tag files with, say a .mpg, .mpeg, .avi, .whatever to be set as video and then set mp3's and whatnot to music so that I don't have to find these files and tag them. Alot of times I have alot of garbage thrown in a folder and on a 12" screen, it really helps to have a little color mixed in!

[cleo]

How much of a girl am I? :)

I use labels on my desktop files to make them coordinate with my desktop picture. Kinda goofy, huh?

Seriously, though, I just over-organize with folders so labels aren't necessary. On the other hand, I'd *kill* for labels in Mail, a la Entourage. Now that'd be useful.

[cb911]

^ yep cleo quite girly. :p

actually i might try that some time, but i'm only going to use they grey's and dark colors. :D

yeah i use labels. mostly for stuff that i've got to back, i use labels to seperate what is safe to delete, usually no label means i've got to back it up, depending on which folder it is.

i'll also use labels for finding a single folder amongst a mass of hundreds of folders. of course i could start typing the name on the keyboard but the labels do help.

in OS 9... i never used OS 9!! :eek:

well, i did a couple of times, but i'm a Mac n00b (well, not anymore i guess ;)), i booted OS 9 a few times, i didn't even know about labels. :eek: :p

[Ben Kei]

I do music stuff and have masses and masses of samples, preset patches etc.. on a seperate drive.

I view it in list mode and so by colour coding I can instantly nip into certain folders immediately as it will colour code everything in its column, name, size, date modified etc..

I was actually pleased they bought it back from os9.. along with the IAC buss from OMS added to core MIDI.. :heart:

[Santiago]

I use labels in the folders that I use most frequently. I use column view exclusively, and having certain folders highlighted in color makes it even easier to pick through the list.

[noel4r]

Just wondering, is there a way of sorting the folders by color?

[FuzzyBallz]

No, I use what are called icons.

[wrldwzrd89]

I use labels to mark what's done and what's not done for complex projects - say, converting a bunch of files. Otherwise, they don't get much use on Mac OS X. I used them all the time on Mac OS 9 and earlier.

[wowser]

I only use one, and that is to make the 'Games' folder in my App folder stand out from all the other stuff. Is this a normal way to have a games folder?

[wrldwzrd89]

I only use one, and that is to make the 'Games' folder in my App folder stand out from all the other stuff. Is this a normal way to have a games folder?
I'd think that assigning a custom icon to the Games folder would be the more common way to make it stand out. That doesn't mean that there aren't any who just give it a label, or do both (assign a custom icon AND a label - works MUCH better in Mac OS X than in Mac OS 9).

[sebisworld]

They came in handy when I downloaded all of the Family Guy episodes from limewire. I color the ones I'd seen. Nothing besides that, but it's a nice feature.

I do the exact same thing (different shows, however). I should have filed for patent.

[MacNeXT]

Hey, I take offense to that! ;) I admit I've done my share of downloading as well, but Family Guy is one of those series that I am actually willing to pay for - and I did so, when I bought the entire collection on DVD! Download whatever you like, but if something is worth paying for, you should do the right thing!

Anyway, just thought I'd comment on this, being a big Family Guy fan (in case you couldn't tell from my avatar... ;)) I can't wait until the new episodes come out next year! :cool:

You're absolutely right. That's why I also buy DVD's of such things like The Office (which is f*kin brilliant!) and The Soprano's. But unfortunately, Family Guy has had only one season of broadcasting a few years ago and therefore it isn't really well known here in holland, and you can't buy the dvd's anywhere.

Regarding colored labels: I've just found another use for it. I have to catch up with some school assignments which I was lacking from two years ago. I created folders for each subject, and subfolders for each assignment. In these folders I place the documents I need to carry out the work.

Thing's that have to be done are red, thing's i've finished are green. When I go to my parent's house for the weekend, I zip the folder, upload it with bluetooth to my sony ericsson K700i and restore it on the powerbook which I keep at my parent's house. The colored labels are conserved in the process!

It makes the dull work just a little bit nicer :-)

[wrldwzrd89]

You're absolutely right. That's why I also buy DVD's of such things like The Office (which is f*kin brilliant!) and The Soprano's. But unfortunately, Family Guy has had only one season of broadcasting a few years ago and therefore it isn't really well known here in holland, and you can't buy the dvd's anywhere.

Regarding colored labels: I've just found another use for it. I have to catch up with some school assignments which I was lacking from two years ago. I created folders for each subject, and subfolders for each assignment. In these folders I place the documents I need to carry out the work.

Thing's that have to be done are red, thing's i've finished are green. When I go to my parent's house for the weekend, I zip the folder, upload it with bluetooth to my sony ericsson K700i and restore it on the powerbook which I keep at my parent's house. The colored labels are conserved in the process!

It makes the dull work just a little bit nicer :-)
You're using Panther's built-in zip utility to zip the folder, right? Other zip utilities won't preserve resource forks and other Mac-specific things like labels.

[AoWolf]

I use them all the time blue=system grey=games red=high use app such as mac stumbler purple=school and green=cd image/backup file.

[MacNeXT]

You're using Panther's built-in zip utility to zip the folder, right? Other zip utilities won't preserve resource forks and other Mac-specific things like labels.

That's right.

[RubberChicken]

I used them at work under OS9 to distinguish active, temporary or junk files. The "junk" label was used to mark files/folders not requiring backup by Retrospect. You could use labels as part of search critera. Very powerful.

Yes, we still use labels under OSX for the same reasons, however the current visual implementation is enough to make you vomit. Colouring the entire line instead of the folder is way too much, plus when you select a folder or file the highlighting of that item overrides the label colour, reducing it to a dot at the left. I love showing off Apple's superior/consistent visual language to poor Windows users, but I make sure I never let them see this embarassing implementation.

There is a haxie out there to induce the OS9 appearance, but I prefer to keep the system clean, especially at work. Plus I'm not sure how reliable it would be in a server (Dual xServe with raid card... go xServe, go xServe!) environment.

[RubberChicken]

Just wondering, is there a way of sorting the folders by color?

Add "label" header to column view, click on header to sort folder.

[crazzyeddie]

I have one label set for an external hard drive, but nothing else. But then again, i dont have any "workflows" or on-going projects like some people.

[mcadam]

i only use one (1) label, but i like to costumize icons for my important folders a lot... and that's really nice and very practical i think.

And people tend to be very impressed when they notice them in my dock ;)

[wowser]

I'd think that assigning a custom icon to the Games folder would be the more common way to make it stand out. That doesn't mean that there aren't any who just give it a label, or do both (assign a custom icon AND a label - works MUCH better in Mac OS X than in Mac OS 9).

Thanks - i totally overlooked that, but i'll give it a try.