“Do I need a tech pack?” is one of the most common questions new brand founders ask — and most of the answers online are written by agencies trying to sell you one. This guide gives you an honest answer: what a tech pack is, when you genuinely need one, and when you can start production without it.
80%
of first-time founders start without a full tech pack
£80–350
typical cost to have one created professionally
2–3x
fewer sampling rounds with a detailed brief
What Is a Tech Pack?
A tech pack (short for technical package) is a document that communicates every detail a manufacturer needs to produce your garment. Think of it as the blueprint for your clothing product — the instruction manual the factory follows from the first pattern cut to the final stitch.
It goes by several names: spec sheet, specification pack, garment worksheet (GWS), or bill of materials (BOM). They all refer to the same thing: a complete technical document that removes guesswork from the production process.
Without one, a manufacturer must interpret your idea themselves — and their interpretation will be based on what is easiest and most cost-effective for them, not necessarily what you had in mind.
The core purpose
A tech pack is essentially a contract between you and your manufacturer. If the finished garment deviates from what was specified, the tech pack gives you the documentation to dispute it. Without one, you have no formal basis for raising quality issues.
What Does a Tech Pack Contain?
A complete tech pack for a clothing garment typically includes the following components. The more complex the garment, the more detailed each section needs to be:
01
Technical flat sketches (CADs)
Front and back views of the garment, drawn to scale. Shows exact silhouette, seam placement, pocket positioning, and construction details. Not an aesthetic sketch — a precise technical drawing.
02
Bill of materials (BOM)
A complete list of every component: main fabric (with GSM, composition, and colour), lining, zippers, drawstrings, eyelets, aglets, thread colour, and any trims. Prevents the factory from substituting materials without your knowledge.
03
Measurement spec sheet
Exact measurements for each size — chest width, body length, sleeve length, shoulder drop, and so on — with tolerance ranges (e.g. ±1cm). This is what defines your fit and makes it reproducible across production runs.
04
Construction details
Stitch type (e.g. flatlock, overlock, chainstitch), seam allowances, finishing instructions, bartack placement, and any special construction techniques. Particularly important for activewear, outerwear, and technical garments.
05
Colourways
Every colour version of the garment specified with Pantone codes. Includes which components change colour and which stay consistent (e.g. black thread on all colourways, contrast zipper on colourway B only).
06
Label & branding placement
Exact position, size, and type of all labels — woven neck label, care label, hem label, size tab. Print and embroidery placement with precise measurements from seams or collar edge.
07
Grading (size run)
How measurements scale from your base size (usually M) up and down through your size range. Without grading, factories apply their own standard — which may not match your intended fit across sizes.
08
Packaging instructions
How the garment should be folded, which size polybag, where the hang tag is attached, how units are packed into cartons. Ensures your product arrives retail-ready with no additional handling.
Do You Actually Need a Tech Pack? An Honest Answer
Here is the truth most agencies won’t tell you: for simple garments ordered in small quantities from a design-led manufacturer, you can start without a full tech pack. You will need one eventually — but not necessarily before your first sample.
The answer depends on your situation:
Your situation
Simple garment (tee, hoodie, jogger) · first order · design-led manufacturer · you have reference images and Pantone codes
→
What you need
A detailed brief is enough to start. A good manufacturer will translate your references, fabric specs, and brand brief into a first sample — no formal tech pack required. The sample itself becomes your specification.
Your situation
Complex garment (jacket, outerwear, activewear with padding) · multiple panels · specific fit requirements · ordering from a factory you haven’t worked with before
→
What you need
A tech pack is strongly recommended. The more construction detail involved, the more room for misinterpretation. A tech pack here saves multiple sampling rounds and protects your budget.
Your situation
Scaling to 300+ pieces · placing orders with multiple factories · building a repeatable product line · exporting to retail buyers who require product documentation
→
What you need
A tech pack is essential. At scale, consistency across production runs is non-negotiable. Without documented specifications, quality variance between batches is inevitable.
Your situation
You have a physical reference garment you want to replicate · the fit and construction are already defined · you just need a new fabric and your branding applied
→
What you need
A reference sample replaces most of the tech pack. A manufacturer can pattern-match from a physical garment. You specify the changes (fabric, labels, fit adjustments) and the sample becomes the spec.
How we work at CustomApparelIst
We work with founders at every stage — including those who have never heard the phrase “tech pack.” If you have a clear design brief, reference images, and your brand files, we can take you from brief to sample without requiring a formal tech pack on your first order. As your collection develops, we help you build out proper documentation for repeat production.
Tech Pack vs Design Brief: What’s the Difference?
| Element |
Design Brief |
Tech Pack |
| Format |
Mood board, reference photos, written notes |
Structured document with standard pages |
| Measurements |
General (e.g. “oversized fit”) |
Exact cm per size with tolerances |
| Fabric |
General description (e.g. “heavy fleece”) |
GSM, composition %, supplier reference |
| Construction |
Not specified |
Stitch type, seam allowance, finishing |
| Legal protection |
Limited |
Full — basis for quality disputes |
| Suitable for |
First sample, simple garments, low MOQ |
Repeat orders, complex garments, scale |
| Time to prepare |
1–2 hours |
2–5 days (DIY) or 80–350 EUR (professional) |
How to Create a Simple Tech Pack (Without Hiring a Designer)
If your garment is straightforward and you want to document it properly without paying for professional tech pack design, here is a practical minimum that most low MOQ manufacturers will accept:
01
Front and back sketch — a clear flat drawing (even hand-drawn and photographed) showing the silhouette, pocket placement, seam lines, and any design details. Label each element with an arrow and a note.
02
Fabric specification — fabric type, weight in GSM, composition (e.g. 80% cotton, 20% polyester), and your colour reference as a Pantone code or hex value. If you have a preferred supplier or reference fabric, include it.
03
Key measurements for one base size — chest width, body length, sleeve length, and any critical measurements specific to your silhouette (e.g. shoulder width, crop length). Your manufacturer will grade the rest.
04
Trim and hardware list — zipper (size, colour, brand if specified), drawstring (colour, width, tip type), buttons, eyelets, and any other physical components. Missing one item here causes delays.
05
Label placement diagram — a simple sketch showing where your woven neck label sits, where the care label is sewn, and where any print or embroidery is placed with measurements from the nearest seam or edge.
06
Reference images — 3–5 photos of garments with the silhouette, fit, or construction detail you want to achieve. Not for the manufacturer to copy exactly, but to calibrate their interpretation of your brief.
Free tools for DIY tech packs
Canva has basic tech pack templates. Adobe Illustrator is the industry standard for flat sketches. Notion or Google Sheets work well for the BOM table. If you need a proper tech pack created professionally, expect to pay 80–350 EUR per style with a freelance technical designer — worth it for garments you plan to reorder repeatedly.
What Happens When You Don’t Have One
Here are the real-world consequences of starting production without sufficient documentation — not hypothetical risks, but common outcomes reported by first-time founders:
→
Wrong fit across sizes. The factory grades using their own standard, not yours. Your size L fits like an XL. Correcting this requires a new pattern and an additional sample round — 2–3 extra weeks and 100–200 EUR.
→
Fabric substitution. The specified fabric is out of stock or the factory uses a cheaper alternative without informing you. Without a BOM, you have no documentation to dispute this. The garment feels different from your sample.
→
Label in the wrong position. Without a placement diagram, the woven label ends up 2cm lower than intended, or the print is misaligned. Small in isolation, but costly to correct at bulk scale.
→
Inconsistency between reorders. Your second batch doesn’t quite match the first — slightly different measurements, different thread colour, different trim. Without documented specs, the factory has nothing to reference back to.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a manufacturer create the tech pack for me?
Some manufacturers offer this as a service — and for simple garments with clear reference samples, it can work. The risk is that the factory designs the spec around what is easiest for them to produce, not necessarily what best represents your brand. If the factory creates the tech pack, review it carefully before approving, and make sure key measurements and fabric specs are explicitly stated in your preferred values, not theirs.
What is the difference between a tech pack and a spec sheet?
A spec sheet (specification sheet) is one component within a tech pack — typically the measurement page. A full tech pack includes the spec sheet plus the BOM, construction details, colourway references, label placement diagrams, and packaging instructions. In practice, the terms are often used interchangeably by smaller brands, but a complete tech pack is always more comprehensive than a standalone spec sheet.
How long does it take to create a tech pack?
A professional technical designer typically takes 2–4 business days per style. A freelancer on Upwork or a fashion-specific platform can turn around a basic hoodie or tee tech pack in 1–2 days. Doing it yourself in Canva or Illustrator takes longer the first time — expect 4–8 hours for a simple garment if you have never done it before.
Do I need a tech pack for every colourway?
No. A single tech pack covers all colourways of the same style — the colourway page within the document lists each colour variant with its Pantone reference and specifies which components change (e.g. drawstring colour matches body, zipper stays black across all colourways). Only create separate tech packs if the garment construction or fit is different between versions.
At what point in my brand’s growth should I invest in proper tech packs?
By the time you are placing repeat orders of the same product, you need a documented spec. If your second order of hoodies comes out slightly different from your first — which it will without documentation — you lose the consistency that builds brand trust. Our recommendation: use a clear brief for your first sample, and once that sample is approved, use it as the basis for a proper tech pack before placing bulk production.
No Tech Pack? No Problem — Let’s Start Together
Send us your idea, reference images, and brand files. We’ll guide you from brief to first sample — no tech pack required for your first order.
Get a Free Quote
