Changing the font of the folder labels on the desktop
mschupack
Jolly Roger
mschupack <us...@compgroups.net/> wrote:
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David Empson
> Somehow the labels for the folders on the desktop have been changed to an
> almost unreadable font. How do I change the font back to a more
> appropriate one?
Is the problem just that the text size has changed, or is it actually
using a different font?
The text size is controlled by Finder's View Options for the desktop.
Choose View Options from the View menu, then click on the desktop
background and you will be able to adjust the font size in the floating
view options windoid.
There is no user interface in Finder to change the font used for item
names on the desktop. I'm not aware of a hidden setting that would only
affect the font on the desktop.
> This problem does not occur in any other place except
> the desktop. Thanks.
Does it affect the appearance of the windowed view of the desktop, which
you access by opening the Desktop folder in your home folder?
--
David Empson
dem...@actrix.gen.nz
Wes Groleau
> Somehow the labels for the folders on the desktop have been changed to an almost unreadable font.
If you mean type of font, I've seen the setting but can't now find it.
If you mean size, close all windows, click on the desktop,
then View, Show View Options (or Cmd-J), select size (12 is default)
--
Wes Groleau
There are two types of people in the world …
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Wes Groleau
> There is no user interface in Finder to change the font used for item
> names on the desktop. I'm not aware of a hidden setting that would only
> affect the font on the desktop.
I remember seeing the place where it is set. Default Geneva, but
changeable. However, I looked for it today and didn't find it.
Suze
The system font is lucida grande by default and not changeable without
the use of 3rd party software, however you can change the font SIZE and
SPACING, which may be helpful. Finder->View->Show view options.
--
Start every day with a big smile and get it over with!
AES
Suze <repl...@thenewsgroup.com> wrote:
This desktop font problem is a BIG hassle, and has been going on for a
LONG time now. It's long past time for Apple to fix it! (At least,
I've not yet been able to find a fix any other way).
Every time I create a new file or folder on the desktop, or download or
Save a new file or folder to the desktop, or drag a file or folder out
of a folder and onto the desktop, the associated name under the icon
shows up in the "X" label style, as indicated by the Finder >> File >>
Label menu command -- which means it shows up in a LARGE outline +
shadow font style which is damnably HARD TO READ on a plain white or
light desktop background.
(Pardon my shouting, but this has been going on as long as I can
remember -- and there seems no sensible reason for it.)
These same items, if created inside a folder anywhere else, show up in a
normal (non-outline, non-shadow) font. If you want to leave them on the
desktop for a while, however, you have to periodically do a Select All
on the desktop in Finder; pull down the Finder >> File >> Label menu
command: and click some reasonable color (yellow's my choice). You then
see the file and folder names in a normal font, on a pale yellow
background.
Of course there are two "gotchas" in doing this:
1) If you try to do this Select All and convert process while any
volume icon (external HD, flashdrive, opened .dmg window) is also on
your desktop, you'll find that the Finder >> File >> Label command is
greyed out and you can't do the conversion.
2) And, once you've done this conversion, if you then drag any of those
font-converted files or folders back into a folder anywhere, they carry
along an annoying yellow "Label" property associated with them, which
you now have to MANUALLY RETURN TO "X".
[See 限 now you've got me back to shouting again. Fix this, Apple!]
Jim Gibson
AES <sie...@stanford.edu> wrote:
> In article <replytome-63C1D...@news.eternal-september.org>,
> Suze <repl...@thenewsgroup.com> wrote:
>
> > In article <v--dnT9FOu16hVLQ...@giganews.com>,
> > mschupack <us...@compgroups.net/> wrote:
>
> > > Somehow the labels for the folders on the desktop have been changed to an
> > > almost unreadable font. How do I change the font back to a more
> > > appropriate
> > > one? This problem does not occur in any other place except the desktop.
> > > Thanks.
>
> > The system font is lucida grande by default and not changeable without
> > the use of 3rd party software, however you can change the font SIZE and
> > SPACING, which may be helpful. Finder->View->Show view options.
>
> This desktop font problem is a BIG hassle, and has been going on for a
> LONG time now. It's long past time for Apple to fix it! (At least,
> I've not yet been able to find a fix any other way).
I see what you mean, but the problem is, as I believe you mentioned in
another post, that you are using a very light or white desktop
background. The darker the desktop, the less of a problem this becomes.
Can you live with a darker desktop?
--
Jim Gibson
AES
Jim Gibson <jimsg...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > This desktop font problem is a BIG hassle, and has been going on for a
> > LONG time now. It's long past time for Apple to fix it! (At least,
> > I've not yet been able to find a fix any other way).
>
> I see what you mean, but the problem is, as I believe you mentioned in
> another post, that you are using a very light or white desktop
> background. The darker the desktop, the less of a problem this becomes.
> Can you live with a darker desktop?
Rather have Apple fix this weird (and totally unnecessary?) annoyance.
Alan Browne
Fix? It's a well engineered feature and totally necessary. Otherwise
Apple would have made it different.
--
gmail originated posts filtered due to spam.
Suze
Gee, I like a dark desktop so I guess I never noticed this as a problem.
Jim Gibson
<siegman-189A99...@bmedcfsc-srv02.tufts.ad.tufts.edu>, AES
<sie...@stanford.edu> wrote:
How would you have Apple fix it? Perhaps it is more necessary than you
think.
The problem is that Apple cannot predict what people will use for a
desktop background. Whatever color they select for the desktop text,
somebody will pick a similar color for their desktop and complain that
they have trouble reading the text. They would have to allow the user
to change the color of the desktop font. That may cause other problems
(the law of unintended consequences may be in play.)
The use of the shadow effect is an effort to make the text visible
regardless of the background color. However, as you have discovered,
this only works if the colors of the text and the background are not
too similar.
In my version of System Preferences (OS 10.6.7), Apple provides 93
desktop backgrounds. You seem to have picked the one (and only one)
that exhibits this particular problem.
While you would rather that Apple "fix" the problem, in the meantime
you can eliminate the problem by selecting a different desktop color.
Have you requested a fix from Apple?
<http://www.apple.com/feedback/macosx.html>
It is likely that Apple does not consider this situation a problem, and
will not fix it unless enough people complain.
Good luck!
--
Jim Gibson
nospam
Michelle Steiner <mich...@michelle.org> wrote:
> > The use of the shadow effect is an effort to make the text visible
> > regardless of the background color. However, as you have discovered,
> > this only works if the colors of the text and the background are not too
> > similar.
>
> Pre OS X, Apple let you define the label colors; if they did that again,
> and you could create and choose White as a color, that would probably solve
> this problem as a side effect.
10.1 let you change the font to non-outline.
George Kerby
On 5/16/11 10:18 PM, in article 160520112018463541%nos...@nospam.invalid,
"nospam" <nos...@nospam.invalid> wrote:
WHY are your post off by two hours, consistently?
Jim Gibson
Michelle Steiner <mich...@michelle.org> wrote:
> In article <160520111541477949%jimsg...@gmail.com>,
> Jim Gibson <jimsg...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > The problem is that Apple cannot predict what people will use for a
> > desktop background. Whatever color they select for the desktop text,
> > somebody will pick a similar color for their desktop and complain that
> > they have trouble reading the text. They would have to allow the user to
> > change the color of the desktop font. That may cause other problems (the
> > law of unintended consequences may be in play.)
> >
> > The use of the shadow effect is an effort to make the text visible
> > regardless of the background color. However, as you have discovered,
> > this only works if the colors of the text and the background are not too
> > similar.
>
> Pre OS X, Apple let you define the label colors; if they did that again,
> and you could create and choose White as a color, that would probably solve
> this problem as a side effect.
I don't think so; not for AES, anyway. He doesn't want to be forced to
apply labels to his desktop icons to make them readable.
Applying labels changes the text color to dark gray instead of white so
that they will be readable against the label color, which are all
fairly light shades of color.
--
Jim Gibson
Jim Gibson
<nos...@nospam.invalid> wrote:
The desktop text doesn't look like outline style to me. Just shadow.
--
Jim Gibson
nospam
<ghost_...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> WHY are your post off by two hours, consistently?
no idea. it's a server issue. my clock is correct.
AES
Jim Gibson <jimsg...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> The desktop text doesn't look like outline style to me. Just shadow.
>
I think you're correct -- the file and folder names are just white in
color, with dark shadow.
In any case, they're a real pain to read on a bright white screen.
As a semi-relevant side note, I've attended two technically very good
seminars in the past week.
One of these used the usual approach of black plus fairly saturated
colors like red, dark green, dark blue, maybe orange or dark brown on a
bright white background that I've always been partial to for both text
and graphics on my own slides.
The other used text and graphics in white plus a variety of colors on a
completely black background, and this was quite effective also. What I
grasped for the first time is that this approach allows you to use a
whole palette of more pale or "faint" colors like yellow, pink, and pale
purple for text and graphics. It worked very well in this talk at least.
dorayme
Jim Gibson <jimsg...@gmail.com> wrote:
> How would you have Apple fix it?
By allowing users to choose font style for the text?
> The problem is that Apple cannot predict what people will use for a
> desktop background.
All the more reason for allowing user control.
--
dorayme
dorayme
nospam <nos...@nospam.invalid> wrote:
Your message has travelled back in time to me at least. It is
1.10pm here in Sydney yet your post sez 2.48pm. That is so creepy.
--
dorayme
nospam
<dor...@optusnet.com.au> wrote:
> > > WHY are your post off by two hours, consistently?
> >
> > no idea. it's a server issue. my clock is correct.
>
> Your message has travelled back in time to me at least. It is
> 1.10pm here in Sydney yet your post sez 2.48pm. That is so creepy.
not even full hour increments? strange.
nospam
Michelle Steiner <mich...@michelle.org> wrote:
> Oh yeah; I had forgotten that. As I recall, I made that change and almost
> immediately reverted back to outline because the plain text was not
> readable against my background.
the opposite for me, and was pissed it was removed in 10.2.
dorayme
nospam <nos...@nospam.invalid> wrote:
This one I noticed at 4.30PM, your post was marked as "4:27 PM".
That seems kosher. Still, I will be watching your Time Lord
shenanigans closely from now on, nospam. <g>
--
dorayme
Suze
> In article <replytome-63C1D...@news.eternal-september.org>,
> Suze <repl...@thenewsgroup.com> wrote:
>
> > In article <v--dnT9FOu16hVLQ...@giganews.com>,
> > mschupack <us...@compgroups.net/> wrote:
>
> > > Somehow the labels for the folders on the desktop have been changed to an
> > > almost unreadable font. How do I change the font back to a more
> > > appropriate
> > > one? This problem does not occur in any other place except the desktop.
> > > Thanks.
>
> > The system font is lucida grande by default and not changeable without
> > the use of 3rd party software, however you can change the font SIZE and
> > SPACING, which may be helpful. Finder->View->Show view options.
>
> This desktop font problem is a BIG hassle, and has been going on for a
> LONG time now. It's long past time for Apple to fix it! (At least,
> I've not yet been able to find a fix any other way).
>
> Every time I create a new file or folder on the desktop, or download or
> Save a new file or folder to the desktop, or drag a file or folder out
> of a folder and onto the desktop, the associated name under the icon
> shows up in the "X" label style, as indicated by the Finder >> File >>
> Label menu command -- which means it shows up in a LARGE outline +
> shadow font style which is damnably HARD TO READ on a plain white or
> light desktop background.
Tinkertool is a 3rd party software that can change the default system
font:
http://www.bresink.com/osx/TinkerTool.html
--
Start every day with a smile and get it over with.
dorayme
<replytome-40D12...@news.eternal-september.org>,
Suze <repl...@thenewsgroup.com> wrote:
> Tinkertool is a 3rd party software that can change the default system
> font:
> http://www.bresink.com/osx/TinkerTool.html
It is so irritating the number of times they tell you that you
can download free of charge that Apple defaults look even more
attractive than usual.
--
dorayme
Paul Sture
Jim Gibson <jimsg...@gmail.com> wrote:
Hmm. I never see my desktop on a laptop, because the display is full of
apps :-)
--
Paul Sture