What goes into a tech pack — and why factories need one

A tech pack is the document a factory quotes, samples and produces from. If something is not in it, the factory has to guess — and guesses are where wrong samples, delays and disputes come from.

The sections

A complete tech pack covers:

• Cover — style name and number, season, size range, version and status.
• Technical sketch — flat front and back drawings with numbered detail callouts.
• Fabric — quality, composition, GSM, width and colour standard for every fabric used.
• Bill of materials (BOM) — every component: thread, labels, zips, buttons, drawcords, packaging, with placement and quantity.
• Points of measure (POM) — each measurement, how to take it, its tolerance and the value in every size.
• Construction and stitching — seam and stitch types, stitches per inch and seam allowances.
• Labels and artwork — placement, size, colours and files for every label, print and embroidery.
• Wash and finishing — garment wash, softeners, pressing.
• Packaging — fold, polybag, hangtag, units per carton and carton marks.
• Revision history — what changed, when and who approved it.

Common mistakes

• Measurements without tolerances. A chest of 54 cm means nothing without ±1 cm.
• One size only. Grading has to be specified, or the factory will grade its own way.
• Artwork without placement. “Logo on chest” needs a distance from the shoulder point and a size.
• Guessed values. Mark unknowns as TBC. An honest TBC gets resolved; a guessed number gets produced.
• No version control. When three versions circulate, the factory will sample the wrong one.

Tech packs and CLO 3D

When a garment is developed in CLO 3D, the approved 3D garment feeds the tech pack directly: the pattern, measurements and fabric settings are already resolved, so the first physical sample is closer to right.

Download a free tech pack template for your garment, or have the studio build it for you.

Questions