To make a tech pack, you document a garment so completely that a factory can make it without guessing: technical flats, a measurement chart with tolerances, a bill of materials, colourways, construction details, and labelling and packaging instructions. You then version it and send it as a PDF.
This guide shows how to make a tech pack in seven steps, with a worked example and a page-by-page checklist. If you’d rather fill in a structure than start from a blank page, download our free tech pack template and work through it as you read.
What you need before you create a tech pack
A tech pack records decisions. If the decisions haven’t been made yet, the document will be vague, and vague tech packs produce wrong samples. Before you open Illustrator, have these ready:
- A clear design: a sketch, mood board or reference garment you can point to.
- A fit reference: ideally a physical garment in your base size whose fit you like. Measuring a garment you own is the fastest way to a reliable size chart.
- Fabric decisions: composition, weight (GSM) and construction, for example 100% cotton loopback fleece at around 400gsm.
- A size range and base size: such as XS–XL with M as the sample size.
- Artwork and brand files: logos and prints as vector files, plus your label designs.
If you’re new to the format, our explainer on what a tech pack is covers the basics. A finished tech pack typically runs to 8–20 pages, depending on how complex the garment is.
How to make a tech pack in 7 steps
Work in this order. Each step builds on the one before, and the factory will read the pages in roughly the same sequence.
Step 1: Draw the technical flats
Flats are flat, to-scale line drawings of the garment, not fashion illustrations. No bodies, no shading, no posing. They show exactly what gets cut and sewn.
Include:
- Front and back views, plus side or inside views where they add information (linings, facings, inside pockets).
- Stitch lines drawn as dashed lines, with seams and topstitching shown where they will actually sit.
- Close-up detail drawings of anything small: pocket shapes, cuffs, plackets, hood construction, zip ends.
- Callouts: arrows from each detail to a short, specific note, such as “twin-needle topstitch, 6 mm” rather than “nice stitching”.
Keep proportions realistic. If the flat shows a cropped body but the measurements describe a long one, the factory has to guess which you meant.
Step 2: Set the points of measure and size chart
This is the page the pattern maker and QC team rely on most. It has three parts.
- Points of measure (POMs): each measurement gets a code and a written description of exactly how to take it, for example “1/2 chest: measured flat, 1 cm below armhole, side seam to side seam”. A small diagram with lettered arrows helps.
- Size chart and grading: the base-size measurement for each POM, then the values for every other size. Grading increments are usually steady from size to size.
- Tolerances: how far a finished garment can be from spec and still pass. Around ±1 cm on large body measurements and ±0.5 cm on small ones is a common starting point.
Here’s a short tech pack example for a hoodie’s measurement page:
| POM | How to measure | S | M (base) | L | Tol ± |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A. 1/2 chest | Flat, 1 cm below armhole, side to side | 56 | 59 | 62 | 1 |
| B. Body length | From HPS (high point shoulder) to hem edge | 70 | 72 | 74 | 1 |
| C. Sleeve length | Shoulder point to cuff edge | 62 | 63 | 64 | 1 |
| D. Cuff width | Flat, relaxed, at cuff edge | 9 | 9.5 | 10 | 0.5 |
| E. Hem rib height | Seam to edge | 7 | 7 | 7 | 0.3 |
Example values in centimetres, for illustration only. Pick one unit, centimetres or inches, and use it throughout. For ribs and elastics, say whether the measurement is relaxed or extended.
Step 3: Build the bill of materials (BOM)
The BOM lists every component that goes into the garment. If it isn’t on the BOM, assume it won’t be bought. Each line should include:
- Component and placement: “body fabric: body, sleeves, hood” or “rib: cuffs and hem”.
- Specification: composition, weight, construction and width for fabrics; brand, size, type and length for trims, such as “#5 metal zip, 60 cm, open-end”.
- Colour: a colour reference per component, or “tonal to body”.
- Quantity per garment: for example 2 eyelets, 1 drawcord, 1 main label.
- Supplier or reference: if you have a preferred mill or trim supplier, or “factory to source”.
The items most often forgotten are thread, interlinings, drawcord tips, care labels and packaging. List them all.
Step 4: Define the colourways
A colourway is one complete colour version of the style. Set them out as a matrix: components down the side, colourways across the top, and a colour reference in every cell.
Use Pantone TCX references (the textile cotton swatch system) for fabric and thread. For prints, specify each ink colour. Note where things should be tonal and where you want contrast, such as “contrast drawcord in off-white”.
Expect the mill to send lab dips (small dyed swatches) for approval. Note in the tech pack that bulk fabric must match the approved lab dip.
Step 5: Specify construction details
Construction tells the sewing line how to put the garment together. Be precise about:
- Seam types: overlock, coverstitch, flatlock, single- or twin-needle topstitch, and where each is used.
- Seam allowances and stitch density: stitches per inch (SPI) for key seams.
- Reinforcement: bartacks at pocket corners and other stress points.
- Finishing: how hems, necklines and zip ends are finished, and any pressing instructions.
- Washes and dyes: if the garment is garment-dyed or washed, say so, and note that patterns need a shrinkage allowance.
- Decoration: technique (screen print, puff print, embroidery), artwork size and placement measured from a fixed point such as HPS or centre front, plus a print or embroidery mock-up.
When you aren’t sure how something should be sewn, photograph a garment you like and add it as a reference. A photo beats a paragraph.
Step 6: Add labels, branding and packaging
This is the step most first-time tech packs skip, and it decides whether the product looks like your brand when it arrives. Cover:
- Main and size labels: artwork, dimensions, material (woven, printed, satin), placement and how they are attached.
- Care and content label: fibre composition, care symbols, country of origin and placement, often the left side seam. Fibre content labelling is a legal requirement in the UK, EU and US, and US brands typically also add an RN number.
- Hangtags: artwork, attachment method and where they hang.
- Packaging: folding method, polybag type and warnings, barcode stickers, pieces per carton and carton markings.
Step 7: Review, version and share
Before you send anything, read the tech pack as if you were the factory. Better still, ask someone who hasn’t seen the design to check whether every question can be answered from the pages alone.
- Check flats against measurements, and the BOM against the flats. Every trim drawn should be on the BOM.
- Put a style number, version number and date on every page.
- Keep a change log that records what changed, when and why. Factories work from the latest version, so make it obvious which one that is.
- Export a PDF for the factory and keep the editable source files.
- After each sample, add fit comments and corrections as a new version rather than overwriting the old one.
Tech pack template: the pages to include
Use this as a checklist, whether you build your own or start from a tech pack template. Simple garments may combine some pages; complex ones may need several of each.
| Page | What’s on it | Who uses it at the factory |
|---|---|---|
| Cover page | Style name and number, season, version, date, size range, main fabric, front and back thumbnails | Merchandiser, costing team |
| Technical flats | Front, back and side views with callouts | Pattern maker, sample room |
| Detail pages | Close-ups of pockets, cuffs, hoods, plackets, zip ends | Sample room, sewing line |
| Measurement spec | POM diagram, how-to-measure notes, size chart, tolerances | Pattern maker, QC inspectors |
| Bill of materials | Every fabric, trim and label with spec, colour and quantity | Sourcing and purchasing, costing |
| Colourways | Component-by-colourway matrix with colour references | Fabric sourcing, dye house |
| Construction | Seam types, stitch details, reinforcement, finishing | Sewing line supervisor, sample room |
| Artwork and decoration | Print and embroidery files, sizes, placement measurements, technique | Print or embroidery department |
| Labels and trims placement | Label artwork, positions and attachment | Trims department, sewing line |
| Packaging | Folding, polybag, hangtag, barcode and carton instructions | Finishing and packing |
| Fit comments and change log | Sample feedback, corrections and version history | Pattern maker, merchandiser |
Common tech pack mistakes
Most first samples go wrong for the same handful of reasons:
- Measurements with no how-to-measure notes. “Chest 59” means nothing until you say where and how it’s taken.
- No tolerances. Without them, QC has nothing to inspect against.
- Vague materials. “Heavy cotton fleece” could be many fabrics. Give composition, weight and construction.
- Flats that contradict the size chart. The factory then has to choose which one to trust.
- Mixed units. Inches on one page and centimetres on another invite errors.
- Missing trims. Thread, labels, drawcord tips and packaging left off the BOM.
- Artwork with no placement. A logo file alone doesn’t say where it goes or how big it is.
- No version control. Two “final” files circulating at once is how wrong samples get made.
- Copying POMs from another garment. A template’s measurements are a starting point, not your fit.
Tools: Illustrator, spreadsheets or PLM?
You don’t need expensive software to make a good tech pack.
- Adobe Illustrator is the industry standard for flats, because vector drawings stay clean at any size and are easy to edit between versions.
- Google Sheets or Excel work well for measurement charts, grading and the BOM. Paste the tables into your layout or export them alongside it.
- PLM software (product lifecycle management) keeps every style, version, supplier and comment in one system. It’s worth it once you manage many styles across several suppliers; for a first collection it’s usually more than you need.
- 3D tools such as CLO 3D or Browzwear let you check fit and proportions digitally before a physical sample.
We compare the options in more detail in our guide to tech pack software.
DIY vs done-for-you tech packs
Making your own tech pack is realistic if you can draw accurate vector flats, understand how the garment is constructed, and have a fit reference you can measure. A basic tee or sweatshirt is a sensible first project.
It makes sense to get help when the garment has many components (zips, linings, multiple fabrics), when you’re launching several styles at once, or when you’d rather spend the time on your brand. A tech pack that saves even one extra sample round usually pays for itself in time.
Our tech pack design service delivers in 7 days, with 2 revision rounds included. You receive the Adobe Illustrator source and a print-ready PDF, and the tech pack is factory-agnostic, so any competent factory can quote from it. We sign NDAs as standard, and we can also audit and correct a tech pack you’ve already made.
How Fabrickly can help: Once your tech pack is ready, we can take it through sampling and into production from 50 pieces per style, with a signed-off pre-production sample before bulk starts. Send your tech pack or a sketch for an itemised quote within one business day through our quote request form.
Frequently asked
Q: Can I make a tech pack myself?
Yes, if you can draw accurate flats and know how your garment is constructed. Start from a template so you don’t miss sections, and expect a few questions from the factory on a first attempt.
Q: What software is used to make a tech pack?
Most tech packs are drawn in Adobe Illustrator, with measurement charts and the BOM built in Excel or Google Sheets. Larger brands use PLM software to manage styles, versions and suppliers in one place.
Q: How many pages should a tech pack have?
Typically 8–20 pages, depending on the garment. A basic T-shirt sits at the low end, while a jacket with linings, several trims and multiple colourways sits at the top.
Q: What is the difference between a tech pack and a spec sheet?
A spec sheet usually means the measurement chart on its own. A tech pack is the full instruction set: flats, measurements, BOM, construction, colourways, labelling and packaging.
Q: Do I need a tech pack to get a quote from a manufacturer?
Not always, as many manufacturers will quote from a sketch or reference photo. But accurate, comparable quotes and a correct first sample depend on a complete tech pack.
Q: How long does it take to make a tech pack?
A first DIY tech pack can take a while because you are learning the format as you go. Our tech pack design service delivers in 7 days, with 2 revision rounds included.
— Hasebul, Fabrickly