Single files or folders containing files must be compressed before they are transferred to the FTP accounts. You can of course use just about any compression software you and your recipients have agreed upon, but here is a list of the more popular ones in use on the internet:
Windows
Macintosh
After the compression is complete, the folder or files will be copied and compressed. These copies will have an extension on the end of the file names. For instance, a file compressed with WinZip will have “.zip” on the end of the name, where a stuffit file will have “.sit” as an extension. (see the instructions provided with the compression software for more compression options)
After the files or folders have been compressed, your recipients must “decompress” the files with the same software used to compress them before they can be used. Usually decompressing is as easy as double-clicking the compressed file.
Many compression programs have the option to create “self-extracting archives”. Executable files (.exe in Windows or .sea on the Macintosh) contain the necessary software to uncompress the files they contain. They provide convenience for your file’s recipient but these types of files are capable of carrying viruses and their download may be blocked by anti-virus software installed at the download destination. Some .sea files may become corrupt when transfering via FTP. We recommend not using self-extracting compression.