The tech pack: speaking the factory’s language

The tech pack is the document that turns your design into instructions that can be executed. The clearer it is, the fewer the mistakes and the fewer costly rounds of samples.

What it contains

1. A flat technical drawing of the front and back with close ups of details (pockets, collar, sleeves).
2. A measurement table for each size, with numbered measuring points and the accepted tolerance.
3. Fabric: composition, weight, color (with a color code or a swatch) and care instructions.
4. Trims: buttons, zippers, threads and lining, with their types and sizes.
5. Sewing and finishing: stitch type, embroidery or print and where it goes.
6. Labels and packaging: label position and required content, folding and packing method.

Common mistakes

• Measurements without measuring points, so each side interprets them differently.
• A color written only by name (“beige”) with no code or swatch.
• Details that exist in your head and were never written down.

Exercise

Prepare a complete tech pack for your hero piece, using the template in the toolkit. Show it to someone who does not know your project and ask them to explain the piece in their own words: whatever they do not understand is what the document is missing.