Return to Answer

Here is an Automator Service that becomes available in Finder when Folders are selected and emulates the context-menus Compress [n] Items command except it creates an individual zip archive file for each selected Folder in the name of the selected Folder. If the Folder Name.zip file already exists then a " 2" (space 2) is appended to the filename, e.g. Folder Name 2.zip. This ensures an existing zip archive file is not touched and the zip archive filename will be automatically incremented as necessary.

To Create the Service:

1. Open Automator and select Service or File > New > Service If Automator is already open.

2. Set Service receives selected to folders and in to Finder.

3. Add a Run Shell Script Action, setting Shell: to /bin/bash and Pass input: to as arguments and add the following code:

    for f in "$@"; do
   
        dn="$(dirname "$f")"
        bn="$(basename "$f")"
   
        pushd "$dn"
   
        if [[ ! -e "$bn.zip" ]]; then
            ditto -c -k --sequesterRsrc --keepParent "$f" "$bn.zip"
        else
            n=2
            for i in $bn *.zip; do
                if [[ "$bn $n.zip" == "$i" ]]; then
                    n="$(( $n + 1 ))"
                fi
            done
            ditto -c -k --sequesterRsrc --keepParent "$f" "$bn $n.zip"
        fi
   
    done
   
    afplay /System/Library/Sounds/Purr.aiff
   

4. Save the Service as: Compress Folders Separately

Image of Compress Folders Separately (Service)

Here is an Automator Service¹ that becomes available in Finder when Folders are selected and emulates the context-menus Compress [n] Items command except it creates an individual zip archive file for each selected Folder in the name of the selected Folder. If the Folder Name.zip file already exists then a " 2" (space 2) is appended to the filename, e.g. Folder Name 2.zip. This ensures an existing zip archive file is not touched and the zip archive filename will be automatically incremented as necessary.

_{¹ In macOS Mojave, and later, an Automator Service is called a Quick Action. There are also other minor nomenclature differences but they should be more obvious when comparing them to pre-macOS Mojave Automator workflows.}

To Create the Service:¹

1. Open Automator and select Service¹ or File > New > Service If Automator is already open.

2. Set Service receives selected to folders and in to Finder.

3. Add a Run Shell Script Action, setting Shell: to /bin/bash and Pass input: to as arguments and add the following code:

    for f in "$@"; do
   
        dn="$(dirname "$f")"
        bn="$(basename "$f")"
   
        cd "$dn" || exit
   
        if [[ ! -e "$bn.zip" ]]; then
            ditto -c -k --sequesterRsrc --keepParent "$f" "$bn.zip"
        else
            n=2
            for i in $bn *.zip; do
                if [[ "$bn $n.zip" == "$i" ]]; then
                    n="$(( n + 1 ))"
                fi
            done
            ditto -c -k --sequesterRsrc --keepParent "$f" "$bn $n.zip"
        fi
   
    done
   
    afplay /System/Library/Sounds/Purr.aiff
   

4. Save the Service as: Compress Folders Separately

Image of Compress Folders Separately

1. Open Automator and select Service or File > New > Service If Automator is already open.

2. Set Service receives selected to folders and in to Finder.

3. Add a Run Shell Script Action, setting Shell: to /bin/bash and Pass input: to as arguments and add the following code:

    for f in "$@"; do
   
        dn="$(dirname "$f")"
        bn="$(basename "$f")"
   
        pushd "$dn"
   
        if [[ ! -e "$bn.zip" ]]; then
            ditto -c -k --sequesterRsrc --keepParent "$f" "$bn.zip"
        else
            n=2
            for i in $bn*.zip; do
                if [[ "$bn $n.zip" == "$i" ]]; then
                    n="$(( $n + 1 ))"
                fi
            done
            ditto -c -k --sequesterRsrc --keepParent "$f" "$bn $n.zip"
        fi
   
        popd
   
    done
   
    afplay /System/Library/Sounds/Purr.aiff
   

4. Save the Service as: Compress Folders Separately

1. Open Automator and select Service or File > New > Service If Automator is already open.

2. Set Service receives selected to folders and in to Finder.

3. Add a Run Shell Script Action, setting Shell: to /bin/bash and Pass input: to as arguments and add the following code:

    for f in "$@"; do
   
        dn="$(dirname "$f")"
        bn="$(basename "$f")"
   
        pushd "$dn"
   
        if [[ ! -e "$bn.zip" ]]; then
            ditto -c -k --sequesterRsrc --keepParent "$f" "$bn.zip"
        else
            n=2
            for i in $bn *.zip; do
                if [[ "$bn $n.zip" == "$i" ]]; then
                    n="$(( $n + 1 ))"
                fi
            done
            ditto -c -k --sequesterRsrc --keepParent "$f" "$bn $n.zip"
        fi
   
    done
   
    afplay /System/Library/Sounds/Purr.aiff
   

4. Save the Service as: Compress Folders Separately

Here is an Automator Service that becomes available in Finder when Folders are selected and emulates the context-menus Compress [n] Items command except it creates an individual zip archive file for each selected Folder in the name of the selected Folder. If the Folder Name.zip file already exists then a " 2" (space 2) is appended to the filename, e.g. Folder Name 2.zip. This ensures an existing zip archive file is not touched. It will be incremented as necessary.

1. Open Automator and select Service or File > New > Service If Automator is already open.

2. Set Service receives selected to folders and in to Finder.

3. Add a Run Shell Script Action setting Shell: to /bin/bash and Pass input: to as arguments and add the following code.

    for f in "$@"; do
   
        dn="$(dirname "$f")"
        bn="$(basename "$f")"
   
        pushd "$dn"
   
        if [[ ! -e "$bn.zip" ]]; then
            ditto -c -k --sequesterRsrc --keepParent "$f" "$bn.zip"
        else
            n=2
            for i in $bn*.zip; do
                if [[ "$bn $n.zip" == "$i" ]]; then
                    n="$(( $n + 1 ))"
                fi
            done
            ditto -c -k --sequesterRsrc --keepParent "$f" "$bn $n.zip"
        fi
   
        popd
   
    done
   
    afplay /System/Library/Sounds/Purr.aiff
   

4. Save the Service as: Compress Folders Separately

In Finder or the on the Desktop select multiple Folders then right-click and select Compress Folders Separately from under Services.

Or after selecting the target Folders you can also click Finder > Services > Compress Folders Separately from the menu bar.

There you have it, a way to compress multiple folder separately and simultaneously at one time in individual zip archives while emulating how Finder creates a zip archive file. Meaning the zip archive contains preserved resource forks and HFS meta-data in the subdirectory __MACOSX and embeds only the parent directory name source in destination-archive, not the fully qualified pathname when using zip (without -j} to create the archive.

Here is an Automator Service that becomes available in Finder when Folders are selected and emulates the context-menus Compress [n] Items command except it creates an individual zip archive file for each selected Folder in the name of the selected Folder. If the Folder Name.zip file already exists then a " 2" (space 2) is appended to the filename, e.g. Folder Name 2.zip. This ensures an existing zip archive file is not touched and the zip archive filename will be automatically incremented as necessary.

1. Open Automator and select Service or File > New > Service If Automator is already open.

2. Set Service receives selected to folders and in to Finder.

3. Add a Run Shell Script Action, setting Shell: to /bin/bash and Pass input: to as arguments and add the following code:

    for f in "$@"; do
   
        dn="$(dirname "$f")"
        bn="$(basename "$f")"
   
        pushd "$dn"
   
        if [[ ! -e "$bn.zip" ]]; then
            ditto -c -k --sequesterRsrc --keepParent "$f" "$bn.zip"
        else
            n=2
            for i in $bn*.zip; do
                if [[ "$bn $n.zip" == "$i" ]]; then
                    n="$(( $n + 1 ))"
                fi
            done
            ditto -c -k --sequesterRsrc --keepParent "$f" "$bn $n.zip"
        fi
   
        popd
   
    done
   
    afplay /System/Library/Sounds/Purr.aiff
   

4. Save the Service as: Compress Folders Separately

In Finder or on the Desktop select multiple Folders, then right-click and select Compress Folders Separately from under Services.

Or after selecting the target Folders, you can also click Finder > Services > Compress Folders Separately from the menu bar.

There you have it, a way to compress multiple folder separately and simultaneously at one time in individual zip archives while emulating how Finder creates a zip archive file. Meaning the zip archive contains preserved resource forks and HFS meta-data in the subdirectory __MACOSX and embeds only the parent directory name source in destination-archive, not the fully qualified pathname as when using zip (without -j) to create the archive.