In addition to archives that have the ‘.zip’ suffix, the term zip file or zip archive is also sometimes used to describe archives that are created and compressed in another format. In addition, you can secure zip archives so that they can only be opened by someone who knows the password. Before you send lots of sheets of paper, you would bundle them up, wrap them to keep them secure and make the package as small as possible to keep the postage cost as low as it can be. Think of them like a package you would send through the post. Zip files are archives that contain multiple compressed files.
Mac zip folder how to#
In this article, we’ll explain what a zip archive is, when you might need to use it and how to extract files on a Mac, as well as how to create zip archives. However, you share files, whether on a USB stick or online, saving space by compressing the files is important. In the early days, files were shared on floppy disks, then on CD and DVD, until ubiquitous internet connections meant that sharing files online was the easiest and most common method. Mac users have been sharing files for as long as there have been Macs. However, you can also zip a file and lock it with a. In the drop-down menu choose Compress file/folder name.
To create zip files on Mac, you have to do just a few clicks: Choose the folder/file you want to archive and right-click on it. How to zip a file on Mac? Zipping files on Mac is easy. If you compress multiple items at once, the compressed file is called Archive.zip. If you compress a single item, the compressed file has the name of the original item with the.zip extension. On your Mac, do any of the following: Compress a file or folder: Control-click it or tap it using two fingers, then choose Compress from the shortcut menu. A tutorial in how to.ZIP (compress) files on a Mac to archive them or send them to friends and colleagues (Mac OS X 10.12 Sierra). Creating a zip file on a Mac is quick and easy, as MacOS includes a built-in tool called Archive Utility for compressing and unzipping files.