A tech pack is the single document that determines whether your manufacturer produces exactly what you envisioned — or something close, but wrong. Here's how to build one properly.
What Is a Tech Pack?
A technical package is a detailed specification sheet that communicates every measurable and visual detail of a garment to a factory: construction, materials, measurements, colours, trims, and labelling — everything needed to manufacture without guesswork.
The Core Sections Every Tech Pack Needs
1. Flat Sketch (CAD) Front and back line drawings of the garment, clearly labelled, showing seams, stitching, and design details.
2. Bill of Materials (BOM) A full list of every fabric, trim, label, thread, and hardware component, including supplier or reference codes where possible.
3. Measurement Specification (Spec Sheet) A size chart with precise point-of-measure (POM) details for every size in your range, typically with a tolerance of ±0.5cm.
4. Colourways Pantone or fabric swatch references for every colour variation of the style.
5. Construction Details Stitch types, seam allowances, and any special construction notes (e.g., French seams, topstitching width).
6. Print/Embroidery Placement Exact placement measurements and file references for any decoration, with Pantone matching for print colours.
7. Labelling & Packaging Instructions Where woven labels, care labels, and hang tags go, plus folding and polybag specifications.
Common Tech Pack Mistakes
- Vague measurements ("medium fit") instead of numeric point-of-measure data - Missing tolerance ranges, leading to size inconsistency across a production run - No colour reference system, causing "close enough" colour matching - Forgetting placement measurements for prints or embroidery
What If You Don't Have a Tech Pack?
This is where ODM support matters. If you have a design idea, reference images, or even a rough sketch but no formal tech pack, a manufacturer or sourcing partner with an in-house design team can build the full technical package for you before production begins.
Need help building your tech pack? OSD Apparels' design team creates tech packs from sketches, references, or existing samples. Start your project here.