How to Create a ZIP File in Mac OS 13 Finder

Archiving files into a ZIP format on macOS 13 Ventura is a quick and seamless process handled entirely by the native Finder app without requiring third-party software. This guide provides clear, step-by-step instructions on how to compress single or multiple files and folders into a standard ZIP archive directly from Finder.

How to Zip a Single File or Folder

  1. Open Finder and navigate to the location of the file or folder you want to compress.
  2. Right-click (or hold Control and click) on the item.
  3. Select Compress "[Item Name]" from the context menu.

Finder will generate a new .zip archive in the exact same directory, retaining the original file name with the .zip extension.

How to Zip Multiple Files or Folders

  1. Open Finder and locate the files or folders you want to include in the archive.
  2. Select the items by clicking and dragging over them, or hold the Command (⌘) key while clicking individual items.
  3. Right-click (or hold Control and click) on any of the highlighted items.
  4. Select Compress from the context menu.

Finder will group the selected items into a single file named Archive.zip in the same directory.

Alternative Method: Using the Finder Menu Bar

  1. Select the file(s) or folder(s) in Finder.
  2. Click File in the menu bar at the top of your screen.
  3. Select Compress from the drop-down menu.

Renaming the Resulting ZIP File

If you compress multiple items, the output is automatically titled Archive.zip. To rename it:

  1. Click the ZIP file once to select it.
  2. Press Return (Enter) on your keyboard.
  3. Type the desired name and press Return again to confirm.