MacOS – Folder/File Name “Truncation” or “Wrapping”

finderleopardmacossnow leopardterminal

I have been trying to find a solution for a very very long time on how to have the longer names of my folders and files to drop down to a 2nd line when viewing in the "Grid" Icon view in the My Finder window.

In Leopard 10.5 by default you are able to see long folder/file names drop down to a 2nd line, but I can't find a setting to replicate this action in any other OSX after that one. It makes it harder to see a folder/file name when it is truncated or non-wrapped.

So as an example; Williams Grand Prix Engineering Limited looks like Williams…ted as a folder title and I would much rather prefer to have it look like the old style;

Williams Grand Prix

Engineering Limited

Is there a setting somewhere or a terminal command in Snow Leopard where I can make this change? I have tried to explain to Apple Care multiple times, but they were stupid enough to not even know what the word truncate meant after I explained it and "wrapping" thoroughly.

Also, please do not suggest the use of just the other List views in My Finder, my inquiry is for the Icon view only as this is the only view which I use. It is such an important feature for me that it is pushing me to go back to Leopard 10.5 just to have that.

Best Answer

With me (El Capitan) the following works fine:

defaults write com.apple.finder MaximumLabelLines 2; killall Finder

On my oldie iBook-G3, Tiger-OS 10.4.11, it is:

defaults write com.apple.finder FXMaximumLabelLines 2; killall Finder

Here's a goodie for "Tigers" who'd like to have icon text to the RIGHT on their desktop, too:

defaults write com.apple.finder DesktopViewOptions -dict-add PropertiesLocation rght; killall Finder

(BELOW is: "botm")

Moreover you can define icons' grid spacing on your Tiger's desktop this way:

defaults write com.apple.finder FXLabelHorizontalPad [# of pixels]; killall Finder
defaults write com.apple.finder FXLabelVerticalPad [# of pixels]; killall Finder

For [# of pixels] insert a number -- try lower ones first (3 - 10) as they add up with lots of icons…