We're now ready to zip up our theme files and test an installation of our theme package. Zipping is just the file compression type WordPress prefers, though it's suggested you offer at least two kinds of compression, such as .zip
and .rar
or .tar
. If you're a Windows PC user, chances are you're very familiar with zipping files. If you're a Mac user, it's just as easy. As a new Mac user, I was thrilled to discover its built-in support for creating zip archives similar to Windows XP (and I assume Vista). Select your theme's directory and right-click or Ctrl-click to select Create Archive.
Even if you're working off a server, rather than locally, it's probably best if you download your theme's directory and zip them up on your local machine. Plus, you'll want to test your install and almost everyone will be uploading your file off their local machine.