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Since you need to create a compressed archive using your Apple computer, you are looking for a solution to do it completely free, perhaps if you are a beginner with macOS. In this guide today we will explain in detail how to create ZIP files with Mac in a simple and immediate.
How to Create Zip Files? 1.Create Zip Files by Built-in Compression Tool. Create a Folder. Open Finder and search all the files/folders you want to zip firstly. Put all these files into a new folder to go on. Rename the folder to whatever you want the ZIP file to be named. Right-click on the Folder. Compress a file or folder: Control-click it or tap it using two fingers, then choose Compress from the shortcut menu. If you compress a single item, the compressed file has the name of the original item with the.zip extension. If you compress multiple items at once, the compressed file is called Archive.zip.
How to create ZIP files with Mac using the integrated tool
If you do not want to install any program on your Mac, then you can use the integrated tool from Apple in macOS called Compression Utility. As the name suggests, this allows you to compress files via a few simple steps.
Let’s find out together the steps to follow:
- Look for the file you intend to compress with your Mac, right-click on it and choose Compress “file name” from the menu that appears.
- At this point, Compression Utility will start compressing the selected file or folder, which should take a few minutes depending on the size of the same.
- Once the process has been completed successfully, the ZIP archive will be in the same folder as the original file. If your intent is to include multiple files within the same ZIP, you can do it in a very simple way. Select with the mouse pointer photos, videos, music and other files you want to zip, right click on one of them and choose Compress xx items from the menu shown.
- After completing the creation, you can also open the ZIP file on other operating systems (such as Windows and Linux ) and device. However, inside it there is a folder called _MACOSX that contains several important files inside with the same names as those in the archive but with the prefix ._. On macOS, they are hidden while on Windows they are completely visible. To some users, this may be annoying. For those who do not know within the _MACOSX folder there are structured data ( resource fork) that are generated by the operating system of Apple.
How to create ZIP files with Mac via Keka
If the Compression Utility has not satisfied you, you can consider using Keka. It is a free and open source software able to support different types of files such as ZIP, ISO and DMG and it is also able to create password protected archives, archives divided into several volumes and more. In addition to the included standard tool, it also excludes hidden files created by macOS.
Let’s see how it works:
- Open the default browser on your Mac (eg. Safari, Chrome or Firefox ), connect to the Internet site of Keka and proceed to download the program by clicking on the button Download Vx.xx. If you want, you can also support the developer by downloading the paid version from the Mac App Store.
- Once the installation is complete, open the free software, choose ZIP from the drop-down menu at the top right and then drag the files you want to compress into the Keka window.
- In conclusion, assign a preferred name to the file in the appropriate field and click on Compress to start the creation. After waiting a few moments, you will find the ZIP archive with the files in question inside. If you want to delete the hidden items in the _MACOSX folder, check the box next to Exclude resource fork Mac and then press the button to start the compression.
Other features offered by Keka include the creation of a password-protected ZIP file by typing the security key in the Password and Repeat fields. Using the Method bar, however, you can adjust the compression level of the created archive.
Following the path Preferences > Compression, you can adjust some compression settings. If desired, you can also start a compression from the Finder, by right clicking on the file or files to be compressed and choosing Compress with Keka from Services through the context menu.
How to create ZIP files with Mac through BetterZip
The second solution alternative to the Archive Utility for MacOS, that you should use, is called BetterZip. We talk about a truly complete archive manager which allows you to create archives in various formats like TAR, ZIP, TGZ, TBZ and so on. The only flaw to accept is that it is a paid software with a cost of $24.95, although it can be used for free for 30 days.
Let’s find out together the steps to follow:
- Open the default browser (eg. Safari , Chrome or Firefox ), connect to the Web portal of BetterZip and pressed the green button Free Download to download the trial version.
- Once the installation is complete, open the program, choose whether to set it as default for opening the archives and add the dedicated button in the Finder toolbar to access it with a simple click.
- After giving other settings through the boxes provided, press the Go button to go to the next step, which is the creation of the ZIP archive through BetterZip.
- At this point, identify the desired files to be included in the ZIP, drag them into the software window and click on Save at the top left to proceed with saving the file in the same folder.
BetterZip also allows you to manage additional settings such as adding a password protection, compression level and deletion of hidden files. Instead of just clicking the Save button, make a long one and choose Save for PC.
At this point, through the Compression drop down menu, adjust the compression level, using the Encryption Method menu to set a password and check the Remove Mac-specific material checkbox from the archive to delete the hidden files. Once you have chosen the destination name and folder, press Save to complete the operation.
If you want to add or remove a file from the newly created archive, open BetterZip and drag the files to be added by a simple drag in the program window, and to proceed with deletion, select it and press the keyboard backspace key. Complete the procedure by pressing the Save button.
If you want, you can also start from the Finder or from the Desktop to create a new ZIP archive. Just select the file or files to be compressed and choose Compress with BetterZip (from Services ) from the contextual menu that appears after pressing the right mouse button on one of the files.
Apple gives a detailed guide on Finder for newbies, however, it doesn't mention Finder's compression utility that enables users to reduce video file size on Mac and shrink videos and folders to a zipping archive without quality loss. If you get huge videos or video folders but limited storage space or you need to downsize videos for faster emailing, sharing and downloading, try Finder before you resort to other video applications for macOS. Mac tips and tutorials are our bread and butter. From start to finish, here's our guide on how to compress video with Mac finder easily.
Option 1: Resize Videos with Mac Finder via Encode Media Dialogue
Step 1: Open Finder and Select A Video
Click the Finder icon in the Dock, a window appears, then find the video file. Right-click the video, select 'Encode Selected Video Files' at the bottom of the pop-up menu. You should see the Encode Media dialogue that can work as a free video compressor for Mac and let you resize video in Mac Finder easily. Move Step 2 to do the task efficiently.
Tips: some users pointed out they didn't see the Encode Selected Video Files option. To fix such problem, you need to activate the video file encode option. To do this, go to System Preferences > Keyboard > Shortcuts on your computer, and click Services on the left pane, find Files and Folders, check the boxes next to 'Encode Selected Video Files' and 'Encode Selected Audio Files', and make the settings valid. Go back to the video file you are going to downsize, right-click it, you should see the Encode Selected Video Files option under Service.
Step 2: Start to Reduce Video Size in Finder
It compresses video file size in Finder of macOS by lowering down video resolution. In the Encode Media dialogue, there are format information, Settings and Encode options. Click Settings drop-down icon, and select your ideal one for out file, 480p, 720p, 1080p, Audio Only or Apple ProRes. You can convert 4K UHD to 1080p/720p, or shrink 1080p to 720p/480p, or extract audio from video to make output video file smaller.
Click Encode drop-down menu, select Greater compatibility instead of High quality to reduce video file size in Mac Finder. It's a trade-off between video file size and video quality. Then click Continue to close the dialogue and the process with Mac Finder begins. There's no process indicator. After the task is completed, open the folder you save the file in and check the video file size.
We compressed a video with 2160p to 1080p and the file size was reduced by 80.27%. Alexa app desktop mac. According to our test, the compression speed was fast, output video played smoothly and image quality was acceptable. Below is our test result.
Input Video: 148MB, 23s, 3840x2160, MPEG-4, AVC, AAC audio, 51.9Mbps, 29.97fps.
How To Open Zip Files On Mac
Output Video: 29.2MB, 26s, 1920x1080p, MPEG-4, AVC, AAC Audio, 10.1Mbps, 29.97fps. Temperature gauge pro 2 15 download free.
Option 2: Compress and Zip Video Files/Folders with Mac Finder
You can make videos much smaller for faster emailing, sharing and downloading by zipping files or file folders with Finder on Mac. Read our tutorial below to learn how to get started. It's quite simple and speedy. https://hntfl-reviews-casino-weightloss-jetsetter-com.peatix.com.
Step 1: Open Finder and Choose Videos or Folders
![Create Create](https://www.hastac.org/sites/default/files/upload/images/post/3rd.png)
Choose the video or folder in the Finder on Mac, right-click the video or folder.
Step 2: Begin video progress
Select Compress (file name), and the Mac will do the remaining work. This can be done quickly, and you'll find your video ends in .zip.
Troubleshooting: 1. Can't find the 'Compress' option
Some users feel confused that the pop-up menu doesn't have the Compress option when they right-click a video file. Note that you won't see the option if you select a dynamically created video, for example, a video in All My Files. Or if you have a video file or folder with .zip, you can't zip and reduce it again. Also, check the permission settings if you can't zip video with Mac Finder, select the video, go to File > Get Info> Sharing & Permissions and click the pop-up menu next to users name to check the permissions settings.
2. Zipping file doesn't change the size
It's normal that you compress video files into a zip archive with Mac Finder but find the zipping doesn't make file size much smaller. This could happen if the source video file or folder is already reduced or encrypted.
Finder Doesn't Satisfy You? Here's A Professional Video Compressor for Mac
It's easy to shrink video file size with Mac Finder, but compression options are limited to lowering down the resolution. MacX Video Converter Pro For my haters. is a nice choice for users who want a more advanced tool to replace Finder.
How To Zip A Folder On Mac
What makes MacX outshine other competitors is '98%' - it is able to shrink video size by up to 98%, and 98% of original quality can be reserved after reduction, thanks to optimized compression algorithm and High-Quality Engine. Compared to video reduction with Mac Finder, the software offers a wide range of options to resize videos without noticeable quality loss, such as trimming, cutting, converting codec formats, adjusting video resolution/bitrate/aspect ratio, and more. Click the Download button below to get it shot now.