What Is a Tech Pack?
A tech pack is the blueprint of your garment. It is a single document (or document set) that tells the factory exactly what to make: how it should look, how it should measure, what it should be made from, and how it should be constructed. Factories quote prices, plan production, and check quality against the tech pack — so its accuracy directly determines the accuracy of your final product.
What Goes Into a Tech Pack
- Technical sketches — flat front and back views showing every seam, pocket, and detail. Artistic fashion illustrations are not enough; the factory needs precise line drawings.
- Bill of materials (BOM) — every fabric, trim, thread, label, and packaging component, with supplier references and colours.
- Measurement chart — a graded spec sheet with every key measurement, the tolerance for each, and how each point is measured.
- Construction details — seam types, stitch densities, hem finishes, and reinforcement points.
- Artwork and branding — print or embroidery files with exact placement, dimensions, and colours (Pantone references where possible).
- Packaging instructions — folding, polybagging, hangtags, and carton requirements.
Common Tech Pack Mistakes
- Missing measurements — the factory will guess, and guesses are rarely right.
- Vague descriptions like “soft fabric” instead of composition and GSM.
- Artwork supplied as low-resolution images instead of vector files.
- No tolerances — without them, every tiny deviation becomes a dispute.
- Outdated versions circulating — always date your revisions and confirm which version is current.
No Tech Pack? How to Start
If you are starting from an idea or a reference garment, do not worry. Many manufacturers offer product development services: send reference samples, photos, and a written description of what you want changed, and their technical team will build the tech pack with you. Expect one or two rounds of review before it is finalised. The small upfront investment in a proper tech pack pays for itself many times over in fewer sampling rounds and cleaner bulk production.