How To Create A Zip File On A Mac (& Unzip Again)
Compressing files can be a great option when they are too large to begin with
Compressing files can be a great option when they are too large to begin with and the process of zipping (and unzipping) is easy to do on a Mac.
Creating a zip file on an Apple Mac computer or MacBook is fairly easy to do and can be a great solution for saving space or transferring files to somewhere else. In fact, unlike many other features, there’s no additional software or apps needed to zip or unzip a file, with the option to compress easily accessible on the Mac device.
Regardless of the computer, space can be an issue for many users. Cloud storage solutions like iCloud have lessened the problem to a degree, as users can store files, images, and more in the cloud. However, uploading to cloud storage services, transferring large fields from one device to another, or sending them over email can take a long time. This is where converting a file to zip form first can prove especially beneficial.
Zipping a file on a Mac requires just a few clicks. Once the file to be compressed has been located, simply control-click (press and hold the Control key while clicking) on the file and then select the Compress option from the shortcut menu. Multiple files can also be selected at the same time and compressed together in the same zip file by selecting the different files before clicking on Compress in the shortcut menu. When it actually comes to using the zip file again, unzipping and decompressing the contents is as easy as double-clicking on the zip file.
After Compressing A Mac File
Once the file or files have been compressed, locating the new zip file should be as simple as looking in the same location. Mac devices save the files in the same place as the original, albeit with a .zip extension. If it is just a single file, then the zip version will have the exact same name. However, if multiple files have been compressed together, then the new zip file will most likely be labeled as Archive.zip. If planning on creating more than one zip file in the same folder, then it is worth renaming the Archive.zip file as soon as it is created, to avoid any confusion when looking for one in the future. These files can usually and quickly be renamed by selecting Rename in the shortcut menu.
From then on, using the zip files work much like any other. The user can save them in their compressed form to cut down on the amount of space used locally on the device. Alternatively, the zipped files can be saved on a different device as a backup, or shared with others. In situations where a file can’t be compressed, the problem might be down to the permissions settings for the file. Depending on whether these settings can be changed will determine whether or not the file can be compressed. As long as a file can be, then zipping and unzipping on Apple’s Mac line of computers is an easy and a highly useful feature.
Source: Apple
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