Folder aliases do not retain the look of the original folder

[jimw]

If a generic folder is modified with a color or perhaps the picture, if an alias is made of it the alias is shown as a generic folder. The workaround is instead of making an alias make a symbolic link. There are various Apps that can do this and it can be done in Terminal as well. My favorite is a service named SymbolicLinker.service and it is Silicon compatible. It is a contextual menu and making a symbolic link is as simple as choosing the folder, right clicking for the contextual menu, and choosing the service. To install, simply download and place it in the Services folder in the User Library. Here is the link if if interested:

Release SymbolicLinker 2.2 · nickzman/symboliclinker · GitHub

 

[joevt]

An alias file is a normal file that references another file or folder or volume.

A symbolic link is a special file system entry that points to another file or folder.

The Finder will follow a symbolic link to get the custom icon and label of the original item.

The Finder does not do the same for an alias file. Instead, it will try to get the custom icon and label from the alias file. You should be able to paste an icon into the Get Info window for the alias and you should be able to set a custom label for the alias.

 

[jimw]

An alias file is a normal file that references another file or folder or volume.

A symbolic link is a special file system entry that points to another file or folder.

The Finder will follow a symbolic link to get the custom icon and label of the original item.

The Finder does not do the same for an alias file. Instead, it will try to get the custom icon and label from the alias file. You should be able to paste an icon into the Get Info window for the alias and you should be able to set a custom label for the alias.

That may have worked for you, but not for me running Ventura 13.7.2. I ran tests using both a gif and png and your method did not work.

 

[joevt]

I'm using Monterey. I don't know if gif or png works. I can copy the icon from the Get Info window of another file or folder and paste it into the Get Info window of the alias (select the icon in the Get Info window to copy or paste it).

For example, "Disk Images alias" is an alias of the "Disk Images" folder. I copied the custom icon from "Disk Images" onto "Disk Images alias".

 

[jimw]

Whatever works for you. It may be file type and/or file type dependent but Symbolics links always work, at least for me.