Archive
Archive is a script-application that creates a zip archive of one or more files and/or directories with all the Mac meta-data and Finder's hidden files left out. Normal files and directories, hidden or otherwise, are included in the zip archive.
Archive is preferable to the built-in Compress context menu item when the zip archive's intended recipient is a non-Mac user because it removes "clutter" from the archive. Conversely, the built-in Compress feature is preferable to Archive if the intended recipient is a Mac user because that "clutter" is, in reality, valuable information.
Disclaimer: If you destroy an existing archive because you didn't read this page in its entirety, it's your own damn fault. If you did read this page in it's entirety and destroy an existing archive, it's still your own damn fault!
Installation
There is no package installer. Instead, download the zipped script application bundle. It should automatically unzip and leave the script application bundle exposed. Please be aware that the script application bundle icon makes it look like a zip archive, but "Get Info" will show that it's actually an application named "Archive.app". Move the script application bundle to your Scripts folder.
~/Library/Scripts/Archive.app
If you have not previously enabled the script menu in your menu bar, do that now by running the AppleScript Editor, select Preferences, and then check "Show Script menu in menu bar".
Usage
To create a zip archive, highlight one or more files and/or directories, then select "Archive" from the script menu in the menu bar. That's it! Note, however, that this simplicity implies certain important rules:
The archive name will be the highlighted name plus the .zip extension if a single file or directory was highlighted. Otherwise, the name Archive.zip will be used.
The archive will be placed in the same directory as the highlighted items.
Normally, the archive will be created new, overwriting an existing archive without warning. To add additional items to Archive.zip, include Archive.zip in the highlighted list of items.
To add additional items to an archive not named Archive.zip, first rename the archive to Archive.zip, then include Archive.zip in the highlighted list of items.
Uninstall
Remove the script-application:
~/Library/Scripts/Archive.app