· 4 min read
What Is a Tech Pack? A Complete Guide for First-Time Founders (with Free Template)
A tech pack is the specification document that tells a factory exactly how to make your product — measurements, materials, colours, branding and packaging. Here is what goes in one, what happens if you skip it, and a free template to start from.
Updated
In short
A tech pack is the specification document that tells a factory exactly how to make your product — measurements, materials, colours, branding and packaging. Here is what goes in one, what happens if you skip it, and a free template to start from.
The short answer: a tech pack (technical package) is the single document that specifies everything a manufacturer needs to produce your garment — flat sketches, a measurement chart by size, fabric and trim details, artwork placements, label positions and packaging instructions. You don't strictly need one to start (a good factory can build it with you), but understanding what goes in it will save you sampling rounds and money.
Why tech packs exist
A factory can only make what you specify. Every detail you leave undefined is a decision someone on the production floor makes for you — and the more decisions you outsource by omission, the further the delivered product drifts from what you imagined. A tech pack turns "a black oversized hoodie with my logo" into a product two different factories would make identically.
The practical payoff shows up in sampling: brands that arrive with a clear spec typically approve their sample in one round. Vague briefs average two or three revision rounds, each adding 1–2 weeks and a revision fee.
What goes in a tech pack
- Cover page — style name/number, season, date, contact, and a photo or rendering of the finished product.
- Flat sketches — front and back technical drawings (not fashion illustrations), with callouts pointing at every construction detail: seam types, stitch counts, pocket shapes, cuff style.
- Measurement chart (size spec) — every point of measure (chest, body length, sleeve, hem, hood height…) per size, with tolerances. This is the single most important page.
- Bill of materials (BOM) — fabric composition and weight (e.g. "80/20 cotton-poly fleece, 450 GSM, brushed back"), plus every trim: zips, drawcords, eyelets, ribbing, thread.
- Colourways — Pantone codes per colour per component. Screen colours lie; Pantone doesn't.
- Artwork & placement — each print or embroidery with dimensions, position measured from fixed reference points, decoration method and colour breakdown.
- Labels & folding — neck label artwork and position, care label content, hang tag, folding and polybag instructions.
Do I need a tech pack to place an order?
No — and be suspicious of anyone who insists you do before they'll even talk. At the enquiry stage a manufacturer needs your product type, quantity, reference images and branding intentions; a serious factory's design team will develop the full spec with you as part of sampling. That said, arriving with even a partial tech pack signals you're organised, speeds up quoting, and reduces the risk of a sample that misses.
If you want to prepare one, download our free tech pack template — it's the same structure our own design team uses when developing specs for clients.
Common tech pack mistakes
- Fashion sketches instead of flats. A factory needs proportion-true technical drawings, not stylised illustrations.
- Missing tolerances. "Chest: 60cm" without a ± tolerance makes QC impossible — nothing measures exactly.
- RGB or screen colours. Always Pantone TPX/TCX for fabric and Pantone C/U for prints.
- Artwork placement by eye. "Centred, about here" drifts between sizes. Measure from the collar seam or centre-front line.
- Forgetting the inside. Neck labels, care labels and size labels are legally required in most markets and are the details customers photograph.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a professional tech pack cost?
Freelance technical designers charge roughly $150–500 per style. Working with a manufacturer whose design team builds the spec into sampling (as we do) usually costs nothing extra — the spec gets formalised as part of the sample approval.
Can I just send a reference garment instead?
Yes — reverse-engineering a physical garment is often better than a document because fit disputes disappear ("make it like this, but with our label"). Ship the reference piece, or send detailed photos with measurements.
What software do I need?
None to start. Our template works in any spreadsheet or document editor. Professional tools (Illustrator, CLO 3D, Techpacker) matter once you're running multiple seasons, not for your first drop.
Have a design ready to spec? Request a quote and attach whatever you have — sketch, moodboard or full tech pack. Our design team completes the technical details free of charge before sampling.
