What Is a Tech Pack? What Your Manufacturer Actually Needs

A tech pack (technical package) is the specification document that tells a factory exactly how to make your garment: what it looks like, what it is made of, how it is constructed, how it measures in every size, and how it is branded and packed. It is the single biggest factor in whether your first sample comes back right - and yet most first-time brands either skip it entirely or over-engineer it. This guide covers what belongs in one, what factories actually need, and how to start if you do not have one.

What a complete tech pack includes

• Technical flats: front and back line drawings of the garment, with call-outs for pockets, seams, zips and stitch types. Not fashion illustrations - flat, proportional drawings.
• Measurement spec with grading: finished garment measurements (chest, body length, sleeve, hem) for every size, with tolerances - e.g. chest ±1 cm. This is the sheet the QC team measures against.
• Bill of materials (BOM): every component - shell fabric with composition and GSM, lining, thread, zips, buttons, labels, hang tags - with supplier references or acceptable equivalents.
• Construction details: seam types, stitches per inch, hem finishes, reinforcement points. A photo of a reference garment detail is worth a paragraph of description.
• Branding and artwork: logo files in vector format, print or embroidery placements with dimensions, Pantone codes for every colour - never "navy blue" in words alone.
• Labelling and packing: care label content (fibre composition, wash instructions, country of origin), size label placement, folding and polybag instructions, carton markings.

What a factory actually needs to quote

Here is the part that surprises new brands: you do not need a finished tech pack to get a price. For an initial quotation, a manufacturer needs the product type, a reference image or sample, target fabric and GSM, estimated quantity per style and colour, and your destination market. That is enough to quote within a sensible range. The tech pack earns its keep at the sampling stage - it is the difference between a first sample that is 95% right and one that starts a long correction loop, which is where lead times quietly stretch.

The mistakes that cost sampling rounds

• No tolerances: a measurement spec without tolerances makes every garment technically wrong. Agree what ± is acceptable per point of measure.
• Missing grading: a spec for size M only forces the factory to guess the rest of the size run - and every market grades differently.
• Colours by name or screen: screens lie. Use Pantone TCX references or send a physical colour standard for lab-dip matching.
• Silent assumptions: if the care label content, packing method or needle detection requirement is not written down, it will be done the factory's default way.
• Over-specification: demanding a specific zip brand with 8-week import lead time when a local equivalent passes the same tests adds cost and delay without adding quality. State the performance requirement; stay open on the source.

Starting without a tech pack

Plenty of successful programmes start with a reference garment and a conversation. A capable full-package manufacturer will measure the reference sample, draft the spec and grading, propose the BOM from its fabric library, and send you the tech pack for approval as part of development. That document then becomes yours - the definitive record of your product that makes reorders, new colourways and even supplier changes dramatically easier. It is one of the quiet advantages of full-package private label production over cut-make-trim arrangements.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a tech pack to get a quote?

No - a reference sample or image, target fabric, quantities and destination market are enough for an initial quote. The tech pack matters most at sampling.

Tech pack vs spec sheet - what's the difference?

The spec sheet is just the measurement table. A tech pack adds flats, the bill of materials, construction, branding and packing - the complete build instructions.

Who can make one for me?

A freelance technical designer, a pattern studio, or your manufacturer during development. Factory-built packs work well from a reference sample; independent packs are portable to any supplier.

Mesh Apparel builds tech packs with brands as part of product development - measured from your reference samples, graded for your market, and locked before bulk. If you have a design and are not sure what to send first, send what you have and we will tell you exactly what is missing.