How to Create a Tech Pack
The complete guide to creating professional tech packs for fashion and apparel — from essential components to common mistakes and best practices.
A tech pack is the blueprint for manufacturing a garment. It contains every detail a factory needs to produce your design exactly as intended — from measurements and materials to construction methods and colorways. Without a complete tech pack, factories are left guessing, leading to costly samples, delays, and products that don't match your expectations.
Think of the tech pack as the communication bridge between your design vision and the production floor. Pattern makers, sample sewers, fabric buyers, trim sourcers, QC inspectors, production managers — they all work from your tech pack. If it's incomplete or unclear, the errors multiply at every step.
If it's not in the tech pack, don't expect it in production. Factories work from what's documented, not what's in your head.
Essential Tech Pack Components
A complete tech pack includes 8 core sections. Missing any critical component leads to miscommunication and costly revisions.
| Component | What to Include | Importance |
|---|---|---|
| Design Details | Flat sketches (front, back, side), design inspiration, style references | Critical |
| Measurements | Points of measure (POM), size grading, tolerance ranges | Critical |
| Bill of Materials | All fabrics, trims, threads, buttons, zippers with quantities | Critical |
| Construction | Seam types, stitch counts, assembly sequence, finishing | Critical |
| Colorways | Pantone references, color placement, artwork files | High |
| Labels & Packaging | Care labels, hang tags, size labels, packaging specs | High |
| Artwork & Graphics | Print placements, embroidery files, logo specifications | High |
| Quality Standards | Testing requirements, defect tolerances, QC checkpoints | Medium |
Key Sections Explained
1. Design Details & Flat Sketches
Your flat sketches are the visual foundation of the tech pack. Include front, back, and side views with clear callouts for every design detail.
Use vector graphics — Adobe Illustrator files scale infinitely and export cleanly
Show all design elements — Pockets, seams, closures, trims, topstitching
Include close-up detail views — Complex areas need their own drawings
Add dimension callouts — Mark key measurements directly on the sketch
2. Measurements & Specs (POM)
Points of Measure define the exact dimensions for every size. This is where fit lives or dies.
Define measurement points clearly — Use a diagram showing exactly where to measure
Include all sizes with grade rules — Show the increment between sizes
Specify tolerances — e.g., +/- 0.5cm for body, +/- 0.3cm for details
Note measurement method — "1 inch below armhole" leaves no room for interpretation
3. Bill of Materials (BOM)
The BOM lists every material, trim, and component needed to make the garment — with quantities, suppliers, and specifications.
Fabric — Composition, weight (GSM), width, supplier, article number
Trims — Buttons, zippers, elastics with size, color, and specs
Labels — Care, size, brand, content labels with placement
Packaging — Hangtags, polybags, tissue, cartons
4. Construction Details
Construction specs tell the factory exactly how to assemble the garment. Leave nothing to interpretation.
Seam types and allowances — e.g., "French seam, 1cm allowance"
Stitch types and SPI — e.g., "301 lockstitch, 12 SPI"
Assembly sequence — Order of construction operations
Finishing details — Pressing, folding, packing instructions
Common Tech Pack Mistakes
These mistakes cost brands thousands in extra samples, delays, and quality issues. Learn from others' errors.
Tech Pack Templates vs PLM Software
Many brands start with Excel or Illustrator templates. They work, but as you scale, the limitations become painful.
Tech Pack Best Practices
Be specific — "Blue" is not a color. "Pantone 19-4052 Classic Blue" is.
Include references — Attach swatches, lab dips, and approved samples when available
Version everything — Date and number every revision. Never overwrite without tracking
Think like a factory — If you were making this from scratch, what would you need to know?
Get supplier feedback — Have your factory review tech packs before production. They'll catch issues you missed
Keep it organized — Use consistent naming, clear sections, and logical flow
Tech Pack Checklist
Before sending a tech pack to production, verify you've included these essentials.
Final Thoughts
Tech packs are communication tools. Their purpose is to eliminate ambiguity between your vision and the factory floor. The time spent making them complete and clear saves exponentially more time in revisions, samples, and rework.
Start with structure. Use a consistent template or PLM system so you never forget a section. It's easier to delete what you don't need than to remember what you forgot.
Iterate and improve. After every production run, note what caused confusion or errors. Update your tech pack process to prevent the same issues next time.
The best tech packs aren't the most beautiful — they're the ones that get the right product made the first time, every time.
Tired of managing tech packs in spreadsheets?
Kobo keeps your tech packs, BOMs, measurements, and construction details in one connected system — so nothing gets lost between design and production.
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