When you download an artifact, it is saved, along with any attribute and link information, as an XML file. Other information about the file is stored in a manifest.mf file that is created when the file is downloaded. Note that after you download a file, it is not available to the repository or project unless you upload it back to the repository.
To quickly download artifacts from the Projects page or from the Project Explorer, right-click on the files, folders, or project and click Download. Go to step 3 below.