Wondering how to zip a file on Mac? You’ve come to the right place. In this post, we will be discussing a step-by-step guide on how to use the ZIP file format on Mac to compress your files and data.
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File compression is one of the most useful approaches to creating an organized digital workspace. Thanks to ZIP file format as it allows you to easily send multiple numbers of files, more data at faster speeds. ZIP is a useful archive file format that supports lossless data compression, and it helps you to send a batch of files compressed into a single folder/file. Comparatively, it takes less storage space and allows you to share data at a faster speed. Compressed files are much easier to handle as they can be easily moved, transferred, or shared across any device.
Before we learn how to zip a file on Mac, here’s a basic understanding of the ZIP file format and how it is useful.
Also read: How To Create And Open Zip Files On iPhone?
Why is ZIP useful?
Let’s understand the importance of a ZIP file format with the help of a small example. Say, you have a bunch of tiny marbles that you need to transfer from one place to another. Transferring a single marble, one by one can take up a lot of time and effort, right? Hence, once you bag all your marbles or store them in a pouch, you can easily transport the marbles anywhere without any hassle. Well, this is how exactly the ZIP file format works.
ZIP is a collection of files that are compressed into a single file. Think of it as a folder where you put or store all your files in one place. Emailing or sharing ZIP files is comparatively easier, as you only have to send or attach one single file rather than sharing multiple files at once.
There are several instances when you need to attach several files to emails. ZIP file format can prove to be super useful in this case, as it compresses the file size and allows you to send data at faster speeds. By zipping your files and data, you can save yourself from the hassle of attaching every single file individually to email.
Also read: How to Zip and Unzip Files in Windows 10 for Free
How to ZIP a File on Mac
Follow these quick steps to ZIP a file on Mac.
First, put all your files in a single folder. You can simply drag and drop all the files to quickly store all the data in one folder.
Now, here comes the next step. Right-click on the folder where you’ve put all your files in one place, select the “Compress <Folder name>” option.
As soon as you hit the Compress button, Mac’s built-in compressor will get to work, and a new ZIP file will be created in the same folder location. The ZIP will have a .zip file extension so that you can easily distinguish it from other files.
Once the ZIP folder is ready, you can easily share it as a single attachment on an email or any other platform.
And that’s it! This is how you can easily ZIP a file on Mac using macOS’s built-in compressor.
Also read: How To Password Protect A Zip File and Folder
How to ZIP a File on Windows?
Wondering how to ZIP a file on Windows? Let’s quickly learn how to create a ZIP file to easily share your files across emails and other apps.
- Put all your files in one folder.
- Right-click on the folder where you’ve stored all your files and select Send to > Compress Zip Folder option.
- After the compression process, Windows will automatically create a ZIP folder in the same location.
Also read: How To Find A Compressed Zip Folder On Your Hard Disk?
Conclusion
Here was a quick guide on how to ZIP a file on Mac and Windows. You can either use the above-mentioned method or download WinZip or any other third-party file compressor tool to get the job done. Zipping files is a handy option to easily share multiple files via emails or any other apps without any hassle.
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