How to Create a Tech Pack for Your Clothing Brand

A tech pack (technical package) is the blueprint for your garment. It is the document you send to a manufacturer that contains every specification needed to produce your design exactly as you envision it. Think of it as the architectural drawing for your clothing.

A good tech pack eliminates guesswork, reduces sampling rounds, and ensures what you get matches what you designed.

1. Flat Sketches

Front, back, and side views of the garment drawn to proportion. These should clearly show:

• —Seam placement
• —Pocket positions and dimensions
• —Collar and cuff details
• —Any unique construction details

You do not need to be an artist — clean, clear line drawings work perfectly. Adobe Illustrator is standard, but even detailed hand drawings can work for the first round.

2. Bill of Materials (BOM)

A complete list of every material used in the garment:

• —Main fabric: type, weight (GSM), composition, colour reference (Pantone)
• —Trims: zippers, buttons, drawcords, eyelets — brand, size, colour
• —Labels: main label, care label, size label, flag label
• —Thread: colour references for all visible stitching

3. Measurements / Grading

A size chart showing key measurements for each size you plan to produce:

• —Chest width, body length, shoulder width, sleeve length
• —Hem width, neck opening, cuff circumference
• —Any specific measurements for unique features

Include your grading rules — how much each measurement increases between sizes.

4. Construction Details

Close-up callouts for specific construction techniques:

• —Seam type (flatlock, overlock, coverstitch, french seam)
• —Stitch density (stitches per inch)
• —Hem finishing (single fold, double fold, raw edge)
• —Pocket construction (patch, welt, hidden)

5. Colour and Print

• —Pantone colour references for all fabrics and trims
• —Print files in vector format (AI, EPS, or high-res PDF)
• —Print placement diagrams with exact positioning measurements
• —Print technique specification (screen print, DTG, embroidery)

6. Packaging

How you want the finished product packaged:

• —Folding method
• —Poly bag specifications
• —Hang tags and swing tags
• —Any branded tissue paper or stickers

Being too vague: "Make it like this photo" is not a specification. Provide measurements, not adjectives.

Forgetting tolerances: Specify acceptable tolerance ranges (e.g., ±0.5cm on body measurements).

No reference samples: If you have a garment you want to replicate or use as a starting point, send it along with your tech pack. It is worth more than a thousand words.

Incomplete grading: If you only provide one size and expect the manufacturer to grade the rest, you may not like the results. Provide a complete size chart.

Not every brand starts with a professional tech pack, and that is fine. At White Cotton, we work with brands at every stage:

• —No tech pack? Send us reference images, descriptions, and a sample garment if you have one. We can develop the tech pack with you.
• —Basic tech pack? We will review it, flag any issues, and suggest improvements before sampling.
• —Professional tech pack? We go straight to sampling.

The more detail you provide upfront, the faster and cheaper the development process.

Pedro Carreira

Founder of White Cotton, a textile manufacturer in Barcelos, Portugal. Producing custom clothing collections for brands across 15+ countries.

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