Compressing Files and Folders

In this lesson for macOS Mojave, I look at how to compress files and folders on the Mac, as well as why we’d want to do this.

Why Compress Files and Folders
There are a few reasons why you would want to compress your files and folders. These include saving space and for sending numerous files to someone.

Saving Space
When you compress files, it compresses them into a smaller file. If you have quite a few text files, this can add up fast. With images and movies, the space saved is not as significant. As an example, I will do when I need to archive a folder because I no longer need any of the files in it, I will compress it to save space.

Sending Numerous Files
If you are sending numerous files to someone, maybe via email, you may want to compress them into a single file. There is less of a chance of corruption when you compress files, and you are sending one file as opposed to numerous files.

How to Compress Files and Folders
To compress files and folders, you first select the files and folders you want to compress. Then you can go to the Menu Bar and select File, then select Compress. You can also use the secondary menu (control-click) once you select your files. When you compress them, they will be combined in a single file. It does not delete the original files. The new file is a .zip file.

Opening Compressed Files
To open a .zip file, you just double-click on it. It will open in a new folder, and you will see all your original files and folders. Also, being that it is a .zip file, other computers such as Windows, will be able to open it up easily.

See this Lesson Action
To see this lesson in action, take a look at the video above.