A tech pack is the specification document that turns your idea into something a factory can build. It is the difference between a sample that arrives close to what you imagined and a sample that arrives as somebody else's interpretation of a photograph you sent.
What belongs in it
- Flat sketches, front and back, with callouts for construction details
- Bill of materials: every fabric, trim, label and component
- Points of measure with a measurement chart for the sample size
- Grading rules for the full size range
- Colourways, with reference standards rather than screen colours
- Stitch and seam specifications
- Label and packaging instructions
The sections most brands leave out
Points of measure
Without a measurement chart, fit is a matter of opinion, and every revision round becomes an argument. Specify how each measurement is taken, not just the number.
Seam and stitch detail
A garment sewn with a different seam type will hang differently, wear differently and cost differently. If you have a preference, write it down. If you do not, ask your factory to recommend one and record what they choose.
Tolerances
Production is not precise to the millimetre. State the acceptable variance for each measurement so that inspection has a standard to work against.
You do not need it to be beautiful
A clear spreadsheet with accurate sketches beats a designed presentation with vague specifications. The audience is a patternmaker and a production manager, not an investor.
If you do not have one yet
Many full package manufacturers will build a tech pack with you as part of product development. That is often the fastest route for a first style, because the document gets written by the people who will use it.