Labels

Mac OS X's Labels feature enables you to assign color-coded labels to Finder icons. You can then sort list view windows by label or search for items based on the assigned label. With a little imagination, labels can be a useful file management tool.

Tips

• You can only sort a window by labels if the Label column is displayed in that window. I explain how to customize a list view window in Chapter 6.

• You can change the name associated with a label or its color. I tell you how in Chapter 6.

To assign a label to an item

1.	In a Finder window, select the icon(s) you want to apply a label to (Figure 21). Figure 21. Select the icon you want to apply a label to.
2.	From the File menu, choose the color of the label you want to apply (Figure 22). Figure 22. •Choose a label color from the bottom of the File menu. The name of the icon is enclosed in an oval in the color you choose (Figure 23). Figure 23. The color you chose is applied to the icon's name. (I know it doesn't look red here, but it is.)

To remove a label from an item

1.	In a Finder window, select the icon you want to remove a label from (Figure 24). Figure 24. Select the icon you want to remove the label from.
2.	From the File menu, choose the X beneath Color Label (Figure 25). Figure 25. •Choosing the X under Color Label removes the label from selected icons. The label is removed.