Fashion terms / Tech Pack
What Is a Tech Pack in Clothing?
A tech pack (technical package) is the blueprint document a clothing brand sends to a factory to explain exactly how to make a garment. It includes technical drawings, materials, measurements, construction details and labels, so the factory can make samples and bulk orders correctly.
What Does Tech Pack Mean?
"Tech pack" is short for technical package. It's a set of pages, usually a PDF or spreadsheet, that turns a design into clear instructions for production.
Who uses tech packs:
- Clothing brands and designers: to explain their designs
- Factories and manufacturers: to quote prices, make samples and produce orders
- Product developers: to keep every style consistent across seasons
When it's used: after the design is final and before the first sample is made.
What's in a Clothing Tech Pack?
- Cover page (style summary): brand, style name and number, season, and a front sketch
- Technical flats: black-and-white drawings of the front, back and sides, showing seams and details
- Bill of materials (BOM): every fabric, thread, button, zip, label and trim, with suppliers and colors
- Measurement spec sheet: measurements for each size, with allowed tolerances
- Grading rules: how measurements change from size to size
- Construction details: seam types, stitches and how the garment is assembled
- Colorways: each color combination the style comes in
- Artwork and labels: print placement, logos, care labels and size labels
- Packaging: folding, tags and how each piece is packed
Tech Pack Example
An example of key entries for a simple t-shirt:
| Section | Example entry |
|---|---|
| Style | Classic Crew Tee · Style no. TS-001 · Spring/Summer |
| Fabric | 100% cotton single jersey, 180 GSM, heather grey |
| Trims | Woven neck label, printed care label |
| Measurement (size M) | Chest width 52 cm (±1 cm) · Body length 70 cm (±1 cm) |
| Grading | +2 cm chest width per size up |
| Construction | Ribbed crew neck, twin-needle hem, side seams overlocked |
| Colorways | Heather grey · Black · White |
| Artwork | Small chest logo, screen print, 8 cm wide, 7 cm below the neck seam |
| Packaging | Folded, in a recyclable polybag with a size sticker |
Tech Pack Template: What to Include
A tech pack template is a ready-made layout with these sections, which you fill in for each style:
- Cover page with style name, number and season
- Front and back technical flats
- Bill of materials
- Measurement spec sheet for every size
- Grading rules
- Construction and stitch details
- Colorways
- Artwork, print and label placement
- Packaging instructions
Why Tech Packs Matter
- Fewer sampling mistakes: the factory doesn't have to guess
- More accurate quotes: factories can price the exact materials and work
- Clear communication: one document everyone works from
- Consistent production: every order is made the same way
Tech Pack vs Fashion Sketch
A fashion sketch shows what the design looks like. A tech pack explains exactly how to make it. Most designs start as a sketch, become technical flats, and are then built into a full tech pack.
See Your Design Before You Make It
Upload the technical flat or sketch from your tech pack and see it as a realistic garment on a model, as a flat image or on a ghost mannequin, before you pay for a sample. It's a visual preview to help design decisions. Your factory still needs the full tech pack. Try our AI fashion design generator.
Start free: 3 credits, no cardRelated Terms
Colorway
The specific combination of colors a garment is made in.
Fabric Drape
How a material hangs, falls and moves under its own weight.
Lookbook
A curated set of styled photos that shows a collection's look and story.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does tech pack stand for?
Tech pack stands for technical package: the set of documents that explains how to manufacture a garment.
Who makes a tech pack?
Usually the designer or product developer at the clothing brand. Some brands hire a freelance tech pack designer or use their factory's product development team.
Do I need a tech pack to make clothes?
If you're working with a factory, yes. Without one, the factory has to guess measurements, materials and details, which leads to sampling mistakes and extra costs.
Can AI make a tech pack?
AI can help you visualize a design, for example by turning a sketch into a realistic garment preview. But a tech pack needs exact measurements, materials and construction details that must be checked by a person before production.
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