Finder: Change Icons in sidebar

Givedark · 01-20-2013, 08:47 PM

How can I change the icons in the sidebar of Mountain Lion? They are all colorless grey, and any folders I have added just look like generic folders, even after I changed their icon using Cmnd+i. I would love to have colored icons back for applications, documents, etc, but I REALLY want to be able to choose my own icons for my own folders.

DeltaMac · 01-20-2013, 09:18 PM

No custom icons in the Sidebar, as far as I know.
I think you can still drag folders into your finder window toolbar. That will retain a custom icon for folders and other items or apps that you add to the toolbar.

Givedark · 01-20-2013, 10:07 PM

That's no good, I don't want them sitting up there..

DeltaMac · 01-21-2013, 08:23 AM

Well, it's just an option. Even if they're "sitting up there", they share the same challenge when you have folders in your sidebar: Those icons are only available when you have a finder window showing.

And, here's another suggestion...
I still use the same folder to get to my common apps that I have used since I started using OS X, when it was released as a public beta.
I have a folder, with aliases of my commonly used folders and apps in icon view, and still use the same custom icons that I started with. There's a few new ones over time, of course, but my own custom folders haven't changed much in 12 or 13 years. Same custom icons. Because I have used that same method since long before the sidebar even appeared in OS X, I never really noticed that change, as the window is simple - no sidebar, no toolbar, just icons.

NaOH · 01-21-2013, 11:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeltaMac


	Even if they're "sitting up there", they share the same challenge when you have folders in your sidebar: Those icons are only available when you have a finder window showing.

Items in the Finder sidebar are also available in Open/Save dialogs. Similarly, the keyboard shortcuts in the Finder > Go menu are also available in those dialogs.

I run 10.7, and since there was no way to restore color to those icons without the often problematic SIMBL plugin, I edited the system files so the icons were blank. I found that easier for me than the default icons which were not quickly distinguishable.

01-20-2013, 08:47 PM	#1
Givedark Triple-A Player Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 86	Finder: Change Icons in sidebar How can I change the icons in the sidebar of Mountain Lion? They are all colorless grey, and any folders I have added just look like generic folders, even after I changed their icon using Cmnd+i. I would love to have colored icons back for applications, documents, etc, but I REALLY want to be able to choose my own icons for my own folders.

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01-20-2013, 09:18 PM	#2
DeltaMac League Commissioner Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 7,942	No custom icons in the Sidebar, as far as I know. I think you can still drag folders into your finder window toolbar. That will retain a custom icon for folders and other items or apps that you add to the toolbar.

01-20-2013, 10:07 PM	#3
Givedark Triple-A Player Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 86	That's no good, I don't want them sitting up there..

01-21-2013, 08:23 AM	#4
DeltaMac League Commissioner Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 7,942	Well, it's just an option. Even if they're "sitting up there", they share the same challenge when you have folders in your sidebar: Those icons are only available when you have a finder window showing. And, here's another suggestion... I still use the same folder to get to my common apps that I have used since I started using OS X, when it was released as a public beta. I have a folder, with aliases of my commonly used folders and apps in icon view, and still use the same custom icons that I started with. There's a few new ones over time, of course, but my own custom folders haven't changed much in 12 or 13 years. Same custom icons. Because I have used that same method since long before the sidebar even appeared in OS X, I never really noticed that change, as the window is simple - no sidebar, no toolbar, just icons.