What Is a Tech Pack? A Beginner's Guide for Clothing Brands
A tech pack (technical package) is the blueprint for your garment — a single document that tells a manufacturer precisely how to make it. It removes guesswork, so the sample comes back closer to what's in your head and bulk matches the sample.
What goes into a tech pack
- Technical sketches — front and back, with callouts.
- Measurements — a size chart with key points of measure and grading across sizes.
- Materials — fabric type, weight (GSM), and composition.
- Trims and components — labels, drawcords, zips, threads.
- Colours — with reference codes (e.g. Pantone) where possible.
- Construction details — stitch types, seam finishes, print or embroidery placement.
- Branding — where labels, tags, and packaging go.
Do you need one to get a quote?
No. This trips up a lot of first-time founders. A sketch, a reference photo, or a clear paragraph is enough for a good manufacturer to come back with fabric options and an indicative price. The tech pack gets built and refined during sampling — and a strong partner will help you create one.
For what it's worth, from our side of the table: when a tech pack (or even a rough sketch) lands with us, the first things we check are the ones that most affect fit and cost — the fabric weight in GSM, the points of measure, and the trims. Get those three clear and we can usually turn a first sample around in about ten days. If they're not nailed down yet, that's completely normal — we fill the gaps together during sampling, and because we make from 100 pieces per style, you can start small while you learn.
You don't need a finished tech pack to start. You need a clear idea and a manufacturer willing to help you shape it.
How to make a simple tech pack
- Start from a reference garment you like and note what to change.
- Sketch front and back (even by hand) and label the key features.
- List fabric, weight, colours, and trims as specifically as you can.
- Add your measurements, or ask your manufacturer for a base size chart to adjust.
- Keep it in one shareable file (a PDF or a Google Doc link works).
Not sure where to begin? Send us your sketch or reference and we'll help turn it into a proper spec. Start here, or read how to start a brand with 100 pieces.
Frequently asked questions
What is a tech pack?
A tech pack is the technical specification a factory manufactures from: measurements at every size, fabric and weight, trims, construction and stitch details, colourways, label placement, and tolerances, collected in one document. Think of it less as paperwork and more as the place where decisions get made deliberately instead of by default. Every detail absent from a tech pack still gets decided — by whoever is on the production line that day, in a direction nobody chose. That is survivable on a sample and expensive across a full run. The tolerances section does quiet but important work: stating how much a chest measurement may vary converts a later argument from a matter of opinion into a measurable pass or fail.
What should a tech pack include?
Eight components, in rough order of how much trouble each prevents. A flat technical sketch, front and back, drawn to proportion rather than styled. A points-of-measure chart showing every measurement at every size, with the grading rules between them. Fabric specification including composition, weight in GSM and finish. Trims: thread, elastic, drawcords, zips, labels, each named rather than described. Colourways with Pantone references, since colour described in words is not a specification. Construction and stitch notes covering seam types and finishes. Label and packaging placement. And tolerances, stating acceptable variance per measurement. If you can only produce half of these before approaching a factory, prioritise the sketch, the measurements and the fabric — those three carry most of the meaning.
Do I need a tech pack to manufacture clothing?
To place a bulk order, yes. To start a conversation with a factory, no — and that distinction matters because the belief that you need one first stops a lot of founders from making the first enquiry. A sketch, a reference garment whose fit you like, or a clear paragraph is enough for a competent manufacturer to quote and begin. The tech pack then gets built during the specification stage, before you spend anything on sampling. What you should not do is start bulk production without one, because at that point every unspecified detail is being decided at scale by someone who has never met you. Sending an existing garment to be measured is often the fastest route to a usable spec.
Free tools & guides for this
Sources & further reading
Have an idea? Let’s make it.
We manufacture from 100 pieces per style, with GOTS-certified organic options and photos at every stage. Send a sketch or a sentence — we’ll reply within a day.
