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Smart Folders using Labels

Is there a way of creating a Smart Folder that will contain all of the uses of a certain label? Finder allows for like 6-8 colors to label things. I would like to make smart folders that use all the instances of something labeled yellow, for example.

— Todd Peperkorn

Comments: 6 Responses to “Smart Folders using Labels”

    14 years ago

    Yes, you can. In the Finder choose File, New Smart Folder. Then add a criteria with the + button. Select "Other" in the criteria pull-down. Then look for "File Label" and select that. Then you can set the color of the label. Now you have a Smart Folder of all items with that color label. Press "Save" to save it.

    Nick
    12 years ago

    Are you able to get a smart folder to get multiple labels. For example say I want a 'To Do' smart folder and I have red as 'Over Due',Orange as 'Urgent' and yellow as 'To Do'can I get it to put all the yellow, orange and red labelled separately labelled items in one folder? it seems to look for items that are in all three labels

      12 years ago

      When creating a smart folder, hold down the Option key. The + button changes to a ... button. Then you can use that to add multiple criteria.

    Nick
    12 years ago

    fantastic! thank you very much

    Nick
    12 years ago

    Sorry to trouble you again,

    When I set the smart folder up the files I wanted (red and yellow colour coded by label, I have simplified this problem from my previous comment to trouble shoot) all show up but when I close the smart folder and open it again it only shows files of one label.

    the lines of rules are as follows (capitals are options from drop down menus):

    KIND is ANY
    ANY of the following are true:
    (indentation) FILE LABEL (yellow selected)
    (indentation) FILE LABEL (red selected)

    The above only gives me the red if 'This Mac' is selected to search but only gives me yellow if 'To Do' (the name of the smart folder) is selected and if I switch the order of the colours around in the rules the problem switches round. I have also tried:

    KIND is ANY
    ANY of the following are true:
    (indentation) FILE LABEL (yellow selected)
    ANY of the following are true:
    (indentation) FILE LABEL (red selected)

    which gives me no results what so ever. I save the smart folder in the 'Documents' directory. I haven't quite grasped how to set the 'Search:' criteria at the top properly but if it is set to 'This Mac' it shouldn't cause an issue, right?

      12 years ago

      Try playing around with it. Instead of "This Mac" try your user folder or your documents folder -- whatever makes sense for this search.

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