How To Compress Images Into a ZIP File

Why You’d Want To ZIP Your Images in the First Place

Trying to send a folder full of holiday photos or design files can be a pain. You’re staring at your screen, waiting for them to upload, or worse, watching an email bounce back because it’s too big.

Zipping your images is a smart way to bundle everything together into one small, easy-to-send package. It’s super handy when you’re sharing a whole bunch of photos, uploading to a website with size limits, or even just trying to free up valuable space on your own device. You don’t even need fancy software — your computer already knows how to compress images into a ZIP file.

Use Smallpdf To Shrink Before You ZIP

I’m going to explain how to ZIP files and folders without needing extra software in a bit. But first, here’s a little trick I always recommend before zipping: If your images are in a PDF, compress them first with Smallpdf.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Upload your image-filled PDF to our Compress PDF tool.
2. Choose between basic or strong compression (strong will shrink it more).
3. Wait for the compression magic to finish.
4. Click “Download” and you’re good to go!

This step is great when you're dealing with scanned image files that are already inside a PDF. You’ll end up with a compressed file that might already be small enough to send without zipping it.

Strong compression is a Pro feature, but anyone can use strong compression on a single file. If you need strong compression on multiple files, sign up for a free 7-day trial of our Pro plan to try it out without limitations.

How To Compress Images Into a ZIP File

Okay, now let’s talk about the real reason you’re here — how to compress images into a ZIP file. This works pretty much the same whether you’re on Windows or Mac.

1. Put all the images you want to compress into a folder.
2. Right-click on the folder.
3. If you’re on Windows, click Send to > Compressed (zipped) folder.
4. If you’re on Mac, click Compress “[Folder Name]”.
5. A ZIP file will pop up right there in the same location.

And that’s it. You’ve just zipped your image files. That ZIP file is now easier to send, store, or back up — all without touching the actual image quality.

Will ZIP Compression Hurt Image Quality?

This one comes up a lot, and it’s a totally fair question: will ZIP compression hurt image quality?

And the answer is a simple nope, not at all. When you ZIP a file, you’re not changing the content — you’re just packing it more efficiently. Think of how you squeeze more clothes into a suitcase with some clever folding. They’re still the same clothes when you unpack them.

The same principle applies when zipping images.

Now, ZIP and JPEG compression is a different story. JPEG compression does reduce quality because it gets rid of some of the file data to shrink it. But ZIP just bundles files in a smarter way.

So, if you’re worried about what does compressing images in a ZIP file do — don’t be. It keeps everything just as sharp as it was before.

Handy Tips if You’re Zipping a Lot of Images at Once

When you’re dealing with loads of images, staying organized makes a huge difference. Give your files clear names, keep them grouped in folders that make sense, and maybe even toss in a “readme” file if you’re sending them off to someone else.

This is also where something like Google Takeout comes in handy. If you’ve ever exported your entire photo library from Google, it comes in — you guessed it — ZIP files. That’s a real-life example of ZIP working behind the scenes to keep everything neat and manageable.

What To Do if Your File’s Still Too Big

Sometimes, even after you ZIP compress images, it still feels… chunky. No worries — you’ve got options.

First, make sure the original images aren’t unnecessarily massive.

The dimensions—width and height—of digital photos are naturally quite large. Try using photo editing software to resize them; just don’t make them too small. If they’re going to be used later in another document, slide show, or web page, ask what the display size is going to be.

Tools like Smallpdf can help again here if you’re dealing with PDFs that are image heavy. The ZIP function built into Windows and macOS is basic, but good enough for most zipping jobs. If the zipped package is still too big, consider using 7-Zip (Win) or Keka (macOS). In addition to supporting multiple archive file types, they allow you to split your folder into multiple zipped files. Once you unzip them, your files are put back together in the right place, just like before you zipped them.

And if you’re sending them via cloud storage (like Google Drive or Dropbox), a ZIP file still makes things tidier for whoever’s downloading them.

ZIP Isn’t Just Techie Jargon

You don’t have to be super tech-savvy to figure out how to compress images into a ZIP file. Whether you’re doing it for work, school, or just trying to email your aunt your latest travel pics, ZIP files make the process smoother and lighter. No fluff, no stress — just a smarter way to share what matters.

ZIP Know-How

Does converting photos to a ZIP file reduce photo quality?

Nope! Zipping your images doesn’t touch the quality at all. It just compresses the file structure, not the image itself. So, your photos will look exactly the same once unzipped.

How do I compress pictures into a ZIP file?

Put them all into a folder first, then right-click the folder and choose the option to compress it — either “Send to Compressed Folder” on Windows or “Compress” on Mac. That’s all there is to it.

How to create a ZIP file with multiple photos?

It’s the same as compressing a single image — just gather all the photos into a folder, and ZIP the folder. This way, you keep everything together, and it’s a lot easier to manage or send.

What is the difference between ZIP and JPEG compression?

ZIP compression is lossless, meaning it doesn't mess with your image quality. JPEG compression is lossy — it throws out some data to shrink the file, which can affect how the image looks.