To save space, and to make transporting files easier, we can compress files into an archive, using the Archive application. Archive can later be used to extract the files from the archive. For example, find the text file you previously saved from Edit, and drag it onto Archive. To make Archive easy to get to, we can drag it onto the panel, as shown here.
Drag the compressed file from Archive's save box back into the filer window (or anywhere else you please, of course). In fact, if you just want to save the archive to the same directory that the file came from, you can just click on the Save button.