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If you send or download files frequently, you are likely to face the issue of how to zip a file or a folder on Mac as well as how to open a ZIP file. The files are basically compressed to reduce their size or in some cases to reduce ZIP file size that increases loading or downloading. If you are a Mac user, this article can help you with the question of how to make a ZIP file on Mac. below you will find information about how to make a ZIP file and how to open it on your Mac computer.

Nov 26, 2009  I use 7-Zip for Windows, and I am astounded at the quality of the compression (sometimes down to 55% of the original size). Is there such an alternative for Mac? At the moment, I have a few DMGs, which would fit onto a DVD-9 but not a DVD-5. So as you see to zip file Mac users don’t need a lot of time. By default, it has the name Archive.zip, but you can easily rename it with just a couple of clicks: navigate to the Archive.zip, right-click the mouse and select 'Rename'.

Quick Summary

How to zip a file on Mac computer

First of all, go to the place on macOS disk where there are files or folders that need to be compressed. Then you will need to proceed with the following steps:

1. Select the desired file/files or folders. Please note that there are several ways to do this. You can use the key combination:
   
   • • Command + A - to quickly select all items in a folder.
   • • Hold down the Shift key and click on the first and the last file or folder in the list - to select a range of items.
   • • Hold down Command and click on the desired items - to add them one by one to the already selected.
2. After selecting all the necessary items, click the right mouse button.


3. In the context menu that opens, select “Compress selected file(s)(N)”, where N is the number of selected files or folders.


4. Wait for a while as very large files or folders with a large number of files may take some time to be processed, and the new .zip file will appear. After the process is completed you will hear a system beep indicating that fact.


5. After the archive is completed, you will see a new file in the same folder. So as you see to zip file Mac users don’t need a lot of time.

By default, it has the name Archive.zip, but you can easily rename it with just a couple of clicks: navigate to the Archive.zip, right-click the mouse and select 'Rename'.

How to open a ZIP file on Mac or MacBook

How to unpack zip files is similar to how to create a ZIP file. By default, the Archiving Utility is launched automatically by double-clicking on the zip archive, which leads to unpacking the archive in a single folder if there is more than one file. In addition, the original zip-file remains untouched, that is, when unpacking, a copy of the contents of the archive is created. With built-in support for ZIP file Mac users can also seamlessly work with files when downloading them from Safari. After downloading a ZIP file, it will be automatically unpacked with the same Archiving Utility. In most cases, this default behavior is “what is exactly needed,” but sometimes it bothers.

How to make a ZIP file via Mac Standard Archiver

You do not need to specifically launch the archiving utility in order to use it, it is hidden in the system folder. However, there are a couple of archiving settings that you may need to change according to your wishes. The fastest way to directly access the utility is to type in a Spotlight searchArchiving Utility and press enter. Double click it to launch the program. Then in the top menu bar, click the Archive Utility → Preferences. In the window that appears, you can make some changes for unzipping compressed files, as well as for creating them yourself. To change the location of ZIP file Mac users can use the following options “Save expanded files” and “Save archive”. You can also set the program's actions after archiving and unarchiving in the drop-down lists “After archiving” and “After expanding”. After making changes, the settings window should simply be closed.

How to create a ZIP file on Mac with a password

Well, we all know about the built-in archive utility in macOS and it is quite good enough in order to perform simple tasks. It easily archives and unarchives all the necessary data. However, how to make a ZIP file on Mac with a password? In order to protect with a password ZIP file Mac users have to open the Terminal and execute the following command:

• For archiving one file with a password: zip -e [name_of_archive].zip [name_of_file].[extension]
• For archiving a folder or multiple files with a password with specifying the path: zip -er ~/path/ [name_of_archive].zip ~/path/ [name_of_file].[extension]

Please note that is you do not specify the path, the file will be created in the user’s folder. After entering these commands, you will be prompted to enter a password. Password will not be displayed as you type it. After that, you will need to confirm the password again. As you can see, there is no magic concerning the topic how to zip a file with a password, just follow the steps above and you will see that it is rather easy.

How to open a ZIP file protected with a password

You or the recipient of the encrypted zip file do not need to worry about the Terminal. Just double-click the zip file, as usual, and enter the password when prompted. Unzipping of the file will be proceeded in the usual way.

How to zip a file via the third party application

If you think that you often create archives and unpack them and this requires additional functions, then we recommend you to try Commander One. With the help of this best ZIP for Mac solution you can not only archive files and folders into different archives but also go through the content of archive without extracting it. In addition, you do not need to open Terminal if you wish to protect your archive with a password as this feature is already implemented in Commander One. Besides that, the app can boast about other handy features, as support for online connections, built-in Terminal, work with MTP and iOS devices and many more.

So how to compress large files to small size or in other words, how to zip a file on Mac via Commander One? There are 2 variants on how to create a ZIP file.

If you want to make the archive in the same directory:

1. Select the desired file/files or folders. Please note that there are a couple of ways to do so by using the hotkeys combination described above as well as with the help of the mouse.
2. After selecting the necessary data, click the right mouse button. In the context menu that opens, select “Compress selected file(s)(N)”, where N is the number of selected files or folders.
3. After the archive is completed, you will see a new file in the same directory.

If you need to pack files and move the archive to the new directory simultaneously, follow these steps:

1. Set the source directory in one pane, and the target one in the second pane.
2. Select the files and click the Archive toolbar button.
3. Choose the type of archive or a password if necessary.
4. The archive will appear in the target pane.

Wondering how to make a ZIP file Mac via hotkeys in Commander One, well everything is simple:

• To compress files - Ctrl + F5
• To compress files with options - Ctrl + Alt + F5

Commander One

• Requirements: MacOS 10.10+. 13.1Mb free space
• Version 2.3(3105). (6th Oct, 2019). Release notes
• Rank 4.5 based on 89+ users, Reviews(15)
• Category: Utilities

Compressed files take up less space on your Mac's hard disk than single uncompressed files, making compression is a handy technique to learn: Every byte can count if you're short on space or when you're sending a file to someone else over the Internet. Luckily, the Mac has built-in file compression to make it easy to keep your hard drive free and clear.

The Mac's built-in compression and decompression option uses the ZIP format, which also happens to be one of the most commonly used archive file formats on the Internet. It's a lossless data compression scheme, which means that your file will remain exactly the same after being compressed then decompressed—you won't lose any data.

A couple of notes before we get started: The actual amount of file compression on a ZIP file will vary depending on its contents. Some types of data are more compressible than others.

Also, file compression can take time. Macs with faster processors and more RAM can compress and decompress files much faster than slower Macs. File compression also changes the file type to a .ZIP archive, which will make it more difficult to view and check its contents.

As such, I wouldn't recommend using this technique to routinely archive everything on your hard disk. But if you have a big archive of, say, images you won't need access to, it can be a handy tool to keep your hard drive from filling up too fast.

Regardless, if you've never compressed a file before, it's worth the experiment. You should find out if ZIP archiving will save you enough time and enough space to make it worth your while: You may find that you can save hundreds of gigabytes this way, or you may ultimately decide it's more worth your while to simply buy a large external hard drive instead.

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Zip For Mac Free

There are also third-party utilities that can help you compress and decompress files, too, and they'll work with many non-ZIP formats. One of the most historically popular commercial Mac compression apps is called StuffIt — it supports features like encryption and password protection, support for Apple's Automator software and more. Smith Micro, StuffIt's owner, also makes StuffIt Expander for Mac users who just want to open archives.

How to compress a file on your Mac

1. Select the file or folder in the Finder.
2. Right-click or control-click on the file to bring up the pop-up menu.
3. Select Compressfilename.
4. The Mac will begin to compress the file or folder you've selected. Once it's done, you'll find a filename that ends in .zip right next to the file you selected.
5. Your original file or folder is untouched; the .ZIP file contains the compressed archive.

Unzip For Mac

When you're ready to decompress a ZIP file, just double-click on it. The Mac will do the rest. As with compressing, the original file (in this case, the ZIP archive) will remain intact, and the Mac will extract the files right next to it.

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