What is a tech pack?
A tech pack is the technical specification document a designer or brand sends to a manufacturer to communicate exactly how a garment should be built. It translates a creative idea into the numbers, drawings, and instructions a factory needs to produce the same piece consistently, sample after sample and unit after unit. Without one, a factory is guessing, and guesses turn into wrong fits, wrong colors, and expensive remakes.
Think of it as the contract between design and production. It removes ambiguity across language and distance, which matters when a brand in one country is working with a factory thousands of miles away. Everything that affects how the garment looks, fits, and costs is written down: measurements at every point, fabric and fiber content, stitch and seam types, trims, labels, and packing requirements.
The flat sketch and construction pages
Most tech packs open with a flat sketch, a clean technical drawing of the garment from the front and back, sometimes with side views and detail call-outs. The sketch is annotated to show where seams, pockets, topstitching, and closures sit. Construction pages then describe how those details are sewn: stitch type and stitches per inch, seam allowance, hem depth, and any reinforcement at stress points like pocket corners or armholes.
The graded spec sheet
The measurement page, often called the spec sheet or points of measurement, lists every dimension the factory must hit: chest, waist, hip, sleeve length, hem sweep, and so on. A graded spec sheet extends each measurement across the full size run, showing how the garment grows or shrinks from XS to XL. This is where grading rules live, defining how much each point changes between sizes so fit stays proportional.
- Point-of-measurement list with a tolerance for each dimension.
- Measurements graded across every size to be produced.
- Notes on how to measure each point so factory and brand agree.
Bill of materials and trims
A tech pack carries a bill of materials: every fabric and component with its fiber content, weight in GSM, color code, and supplier. The trims section covers zippers, buttons, snaps, thread, elastic, and labels, each with placement notes and a reference image. A color code such as a Pantone reference keeps the production run matching the approved sample instead of drifting toward whatever the factory has in stock.
Labeling and packing
The final pages cover branding and logistics: where the main label and care label go, fiber content and care instructions required by law in the destination market, hangtags, polybag specs, folding, and carton packing. These pages feel administrative but they prevent rejected shipments and last-minute relabeling.
Why a tech pack matters for fashion brands
A tech pack is the single biggest lever a small brand has over production quality. It sets the cost basis, because a factory cannot quote accurately without knowing materials, construction, and finishing. It also controls the sampling loop: clear specs mean fewer fit samples before approval, which shortens lead time and lowers development cost. A vague or missing tech pack is the most common reason first production runs come back wrong.
It also protects the brand commercially. When a delivered garment does not match the document, the tech pack is the reference that decides who pays for the remake. Brands that treat it as a living file, updating it after every sample round, end up with cleaner production and a record they can reuse when they move a style to a new factory.
Practical takeaway
Build the tech pack before requesting quotes, not after. Even a simple style benefits from a labeled flat sketch, a graded spec sheet, and a bill of materials. The hours spent there are far cheaper than a production run that has to be cut and sewn twice.