How to change the Open/Save dialog icon sizes

[Signum17]

This has been a big issue when using the abbreviated Finder dialog boxes when opening or saving a file in a Mac app. The icons are quite tiny and many of us want that visual feedback without having to tap the Spacebar for a quick look and and as most here know, the dialogs lack the icon size slider that's standard in the Finder.

So I just tried a fix that even works in Sierra thanks to an older freeware program called "Pref Setter."
You get it here: http://www.nightproductions.net/prefsetter.html It works even in Sierra.

Since some folders are hidden by default, use the Go > Go to Folder option in the Finder menu

and enter ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.finder.plist in the field.

Open com.apple.finder.plist in Pref Setter.

You should see the FK_DefaulticonViewSettings key as shown below, and if you click the tiny triangle before it, you should see the iconSize entry. I changed mine to 256, pressed Enter, then closed and saved the file.
Then I Restarted my Mac to see the big thumbs in the Open dialog.

You can also try the "Relaunch Finder" button if you want to skip the Restart.

(Nervous? make a back up of the original plist.)

I hope that Key is still there. I don't know if it is removed for some.

 

[BrianBaughn]

I think I understand what you're doing but can you post an image of what the resulting change looks like?

 

[Signum17]

This is the 256 px thumbnail result for the File > Open dialog in Photoshop, but you would see the same with any other dialog in any other Mac app and of course if this is too large, you can try other values.

Gene

 

[ikir]

Searching for the same thing, I need to make bigger preview image only in file requester / open dialog.
I've found PlistEdit Pro and now I'm trying to edit FK_DefaulticonViewSettings now there ia v2 entry too.

 

[Signum17]

I upgraded to Monterey a month ago, and my Iconsettings work there. I don't know about v2, but here is my Plist Editor screenshot.

iconSize under FK_DefaulticonView should be all you need to adjust.