What a tech pack is, and what a factory needs from it
6 min read
A tech pack is the instruction set a factory uses to make your garment the same way every time. If something is not written in it, the factory has to guess, and a guess costs a sample round.
The pages and why each exists
Style header
Style number, name, season, buyer, fabric, colourways, sample stage, date and revision. It appears on every page so a single loose page can still be traced to the right style and revision.
Flats and callouts
Front and back line drawings with numbered callouts for details: stitch widths, finishes, trims. Flats are drawn flat and symmetric, not posed like fashion illustrations, because the factory reads them as diagrams.
Measurement diagram and POM table
The diagram shows where each point of measure (POM) is taken, each with a letter. The table gives the value for every size, the tolerance and the grade. These two pages decide fit, so they are where most sample rejections start.
Bill of materials
Every fabric, trim, label and packing item with its placement, colour and consumption per piece. Purchasing and costing both work from this page.
Construction
Operations in sewing order with stitch type, stitches per inch, seam allowance and machine. Line planners use it to set up the line.
Artwork, labels and packing
Print or embroidery placement measured from a fixed point, label positions, folding, polybag and carton assortment.
Fit evaluation and revisions
Measured sample values against spec, with comments, and a log of every change. Without the log, nobody knows which version the factory sewed.
The test of a good tech pack
Hand it to a factory you have never worked with. If they can make a correct first sample without calling you, it is complete.