How to Create ZIP Files With 7-Zip CLI

This guide explains how to generate standard ZIP archives using the 7-Zip command-line interface (CLI) instead of the default 7z format. You will learn the exact command-line switch required to define the archive type, the basic command syntax, and practical examples for compressing files and directories into ZIP files.

The Flag: -tzip

To create a .zip archive instead of the default .7z format, use the -tzip flag. The -t switch specifies the type of archive, and appending zip instructs 7-Zip to format the output as a standard ZIP file.

Basic Syntax

The standard command structure for creating a ZIP file is:

7z a -tzip <archive_name.zip> <file_or_folder_to_compress>
  • a: The command to add files to an archive.
  • -tzip: The switch that forces the archive format to ZIP.
  • <archive_name.zip>: The name of the resulting archive file.
  • <file_or_folder_to_compress>: The target files or directories to include.

Practical Examples

1. Compressing a Single File

To compress a single document into a ZIP archive:

7z a -tzip archive.zip document.pdf

2. Compressing Multiple Files

To compress multiple specified files:

7z a -tzip archive.zip file1.txt file2.jpg file3.png

3. Compressing an Entire Directory

To compress a folder and all of its contents:

7z a -tzip backup.zip ./my_folder/

4. Setting the Compression Level

You can combine -tzip with the -mx flag to define compression strength (from 0 for no compression up to 9 for ultra compression):

7z a -tzip -mx9 archive.zip ./my_folder/