How to write a tech pack a factory can use.
A tech pack is the document that turns your idea into a manufacturable garment. This guide sets out every section a factory reads, what belongs in each, and the omissions that cause most re-sampling.
A factory does not read your mood board. It reads measurements, materials and callouts. Anything you leave out, someone on the floor will decide for you, and their decision will be reasonable, standard, and probably not what you pictured.
You do not need professional software to write a usable tech pack. You need completeness and consistency. If you do not have one, we build tech packs with founders as part of the full-package process, working from a reference garment and a conversation.
See the full-package process →At a glance
1. The cover sheet and the flat sketch
Start with identification: style name, style code, season or drop, the date, the version number, and who to contact with questions. Version numbers matter more than they sound. Most sampling confusion comes from two people working from two different files with the same name.
Then the flat sketch: front, back, and any detail views needed to show a pocket, a cuff or a seam treatment. It does not have to be beautiful. It has to be proportionally honest and clearly labelled, because every callout later in the document points back to it.
- Style name, code, version number and date on every page
- Front and back flats, plus detail views where needed
- Label every component that you will refer to later
- One contact person for technical questions
2. Points of measure
Points of measure, or POM, are the specific places on the garment that will be measured, with a target measurement and a tolerance for each. This is the heart of the document. Common points include chest width, body length from high point shoulder, shoulder width, sleeve length, armhole depth, hem width, waist relaxed and stretched, rise, inseam and cuff opening.
Two rules make a POM list usable. First, define how each point is measured, with a diagram, because there is more than one way to measure a body length. Second, give every point a tolerance, because no garment is cut to an exact figure. Without tolerances, quality control has no pass or fail line.
- Name each point, define how it is measured, show it on the flat
- Give a target value and a plus or minus tolerance for each
- Use one unit system throughout the document
- Measure garment flat unless you state otherwise
3. Grading and the size chart
Grading is the rule set that takes your base size and produces the rest. Give a graded spec sheet showing every point of measure across every size you are producing, rather than a base size plus a note asking the factory to grade it normally. Normal differs between factories and between categories.
Decide which points grade and which stay constant. Neck rib height, cuff height and pocket size often stay the same across sizes; body and width measurements always move. For stretch garments, grade increments usually differ between waist, hip and thigh. Confirm the grade with a size set before bulk rather than trusting the maths.
- Provide the full graded spec, not just the base size
- State which measurements do not grade
- Check the grade physically with a size set
- Publish the resulting body size chart on your store
4. Bill of materials
The bill of materials, or BOM, lists every physical component that goes into the garment. Main fabric with composition and weight in GSM. Rib or contrast fabric. Thread type and colour. Elastic with width and type. Drawcords, tippings, eyelets, zips with length and type, buttons, snaps, interlining, and every label.
Against each line, state placement, quantity, colour and any acceptable alternative. Alternatives matter: if a specific zip pull is unavailable, a named second choice keeps production moving instead of stopping it for a week. Where you do not have a preference, say so explicitly so the factory can choose without asking.
- Every component, with composition, size, colour and placement
- Fabric weight in GSM and knit or weave type
- Named alternatives for anything hard to source
- Mark which lines are fixed and which are the factory's choice
5. Construction and stitch callouts
Construction is how the pieces are joined, and it is where cheap and considered garments separate. Specify the seam type at each junction, the stitch type and stitch density, the hem treatment, where bar tacks go, and how seams are finished internally. Say whether shoulder seams are taped, whether side seams exist at all, and how the neck rib is closed.
If you are working from a reference garment, the fastest route is to describe the reference construction point by point and note every intentional difference. A reference plus a short list of deliberate changes is often clearer than a long description written from scratch.
- Seam type, stitch type and density at each junction
- Hem, cuff and neckline treatments
- Bar tack positions and internal seam finishing
- Note every intentional difference from the reference garment
6. Artwork, placement and colour
Supply artwork as vector files where the design allows, and as high resolution raster files where it does not. State the finished print dimensions, the placement measured from a fixed point such as the high point shoulder, the decoration method, and the colours with a recognised colour reference rather than a screen colour.
Match the method to the fabric and the order size. We run DTG, DTF, sublimation, puff, HD, embroidery, appliqué and woven labels in house, along with garment dye and washes. Screen printing runs through vetted partner units, managed by our QA team. The decoration pages compare what each method does well.
- Vector artwork where possible, high resolution raster otherwise
- Finished size plus placement measured from a fixed point
- Colour references, not screen colours
- Name the decoration method for each piece of artwork
7. Labels, packing and finishing
Specify the neck label type and its exact artwork, the care and content label with fibre composition, care symbols and country of origin, and any size or brand tabs. Then specify hangtags, how they are attached, the polybag type and any printing on it, folding method, and how garments are cartoned.
These details are routinely left out and are the most common cause of a last-minute delay, because labels and packaging often have their own lead times. Our labels and packaging guide covers what belongs on a garment label and how the choices affect unit cost.
- Neck label, care and content label, size tab
- Hangtag artwork, material and attachment method
- Polybag, folding, and carton packing instructions
- Confirm label lead times early, not at the end
8. The omissions that cost the most
Across first-time tech packs, the same gaps recur: no tolerances, a base size with no grade, no thread colour, no internal seam finishing, screen colours instead of colour references, missing label artwork, and a mixture of units in one document.
One more: no statement of what matters most. If the hand-feel is the point, say so. A factory that knows your priority can protect it when a trade-off appears, and trade-offs always appear.
- No tolerances on points of measure
- Base size only, with no grade rules
- Trims and labels left unspecified
- Mixed units, or screen colours used as colour references
- No statement of which details are non-negotiable
What a complete tech pack contains
If every one of these is present and consistent, a factory can quote and sample without a round of questions.
Identification
Style name, code, version, date and a named technical contact on every page.
Flats
Front, back and detail views, with every referenced component labelled.
Graded spec
Every point of measure, every size, with a defined measuring method and a tolerance.
Bill of materials
Fabric, trims, thread, elastic, zips and labels, with composition, size, colour and placement.
Construction
Seam and stitch callouts, hem and cuff treatments, bar tacks and internal finishing.
Artwork and packing
Print files, placements, colour references, label artwork, hangtags, polybag and carton spec.
A tech pack does not have to be elaborate. It has to be complete, consistent and versioned. Completeness is what removes sampling rounds.
Common questions
Not to start. A reference garment, a clear description, target sizes and rough quantities are enough for a first conversation. A tech pack makes the quote accurate and the first sample much closer to what you pictured.
Whatever produces a clear, consistent document. Spreadsheets for the spec and BOM plus a drawing tool for the flats is entirely workable. Consistency and version control matter far more than the tool.
The acceptable variation above and below the target measurement. No garment cuts to an exact figure, so a tolerance gives quality control a pass or fail line. Inspection to AQL 2.5 checks against those tolerances.
Yes. We build tech packs with founders as part of full-package manufacturing, working from a reference garment and a conversation about fit intent. See the full-package process for how that fits in.
Vector where the design allows, high resolution raster where it does not, plus finished print size, placement from a fixed point, the decoration method and colour references. Screen colours alone are not enough to match.
At the sealed sample. Once a sample is approved and sealed, it becomes the bulk standard and the tech pack should be updated to match it. Changes after that point affect price and lead time.
Have a design but no tech pack?
Send us a sketch, a reference garment or a description. We will tell you exactly what is missing and build the document with you.