In Mac OS and Mac OS X, how do I encode a file in MacBinary format?

A number of easy-to-use MacBinary encoding utilities are available. Two of the simplest freeware programs are MacBinary II+ and MacBinary III. To use either one, click and drag the icon of the file you want to encode onto the MacBinary II+ or MacBinary III icon and release the mouse button. The program will automatically produce a MacBinary-encoded copy of the file as filename.bin (where filename is the name of the original file). Use MacBinary II+ to create MacBinary II files and MacBinary III to create MacBinary III files. Neither program is native to Mac OS X, but they will run in the Classic environment.

For information on where to download MacBinary II+ and MacBinary III, see For Mac OS X, where can I download freeware, shareware, commercial software, and software updates?

Smith Micro offers a commercial product, StuffIt Deluxe, that can encode files in MacBinary.

Note: Most dedicated FTP programs (e.g., Fetch, Transmit, and Interarchy) can automatically encode Mac OS files into MacBinary format.

Also see:

• What are compressed or archived files, and how do I open them?
• In Mac OS and Mac OS X, how do I compress and archive folders, files, and applications with StuffIt?