📦 How to Open .ZIP and .RAR Files (Simply Explained!)
If you downloaded a digital kit, booklet, or any other material from us and the file came with a different name, such as colecao-aniversario.zip
or kit-completo.rar
, don't worry! This is very common—these files are compressed and need to be extracted before you can use the contents inside.
In this post, I'll explain everything to you in a very simple way:
-
What is a
.zip
or.rar
file -
How to know if it needs to be extracted
-
How to open on computer (step by step with images)
🧐 What is a .ZIP or .RAR file?
Have you ever seen a file ending .zip
or .rar
and not known what to do with it?
These formats are like compressed digital boxes . They combine multiple files into one, making everything lighter and easier to send and download. This is very common when you purchase or receive digital kits, handouts, templates, and cutting files.
For example: a single .zip
file can contain 10 PNGs, 1 PDF, a folder with fonts and much more — all neatly organized inside.
🔍 How do I know if the file needs to be extracted?
✅ 1. Check the file icon
When you download a .zip
or .rar
file, it usually has a different icon on your computer:
-
.rar
: stacked books icon (if WinRAR is installed) -
.zip
: zippered folder icon
✅ 2. View the file properties
If you're not sure whether a file is compressed, you can quickly find out by looking at the file's properties .
Follow the step by step:
🖱️ Step 1: Locate the file in the folder where it was saved
It will usually be in your Downloads folder, unless you have chosen another location.
🖱️ Step 2: Right-click the file
Right-click on the file you want to check.
🖱️ Step 3: Select “Properties”
With the left mouse button, click on properties.
🧾 Step 4: View the information in the "General" tab
A small window will open. In the General tab, look at the line that says:
File type .
Examples:
-
File type: ZIP file (.zip)
-
File type: RAR archive (.rar)
✅ 3. Double click to view content
You can double-click the file to see what's inside—but that doesn't mean the files are ready to use . They need to be extracted before you can open or use them normally.
💻 How to extract .ZIP and .RAR files on Windows (step by step)
▶ .ZIP files
-
Right click on the
.zip
file -
Select “Extract All…”
-
Choose a folder where you want to save
-
Click “Extract”
After this process, Windows creates a new folder with all the unzipped files, ready to use.
▶ .RAR files
-
Download and install the free WinRAR or 7-Zip program
-
Right click on the
.rar
file -
Select “Extract here” or “Extract to [folder name]”
You will see the new folder appear in the same location with all the released files.
🍎 How to open ZIP or RAR files on Mac
On Mac, the process is even simpler for .zip
:
-
Double-click the
.zip
file -
macOS automatically extracts the contents and creates a new folder with the files ready to use.
For .rar
files, you can install the free app The Unarchiver (available on the App Store). After installing:
-
Open the app and select the
.rar
file to extract -
It will automatically create a new folder with the unzipped files
📁 After extracting: where are my files?
After extraction, you'll see a new folder in the same location as the .zip
or .rar
file. It will contain all the items ready to use:
-
Templates (.studio, .svg, .pdf)
-
Cliparts (.png)
-
Handouts (.pdf)
-
Fonts (.ttf or .otf)
✅ Conclusion
Opening a .zip
or .rar
file is simple—just identify the format, extract it with the appropriate tools, and enjoy all the content that came with it. Whenever you receive a digital kit, booklet, or any file from us and it doesn't open right away, check to see if it's compressed .
Using a computer, especially Windows or Mac, makes it much easier to organize and use everything correctly.