What a Tech Pack Actually Contains
A complete tech pack includes a flat sketch of the garment (front and back), a full measurement spec by size, fabric details including composition and GSM, trim specifications (thread, labels, hardware, drawcords), construction notes (seam types, stitch counts), colourways, and grading rules across your size range. It's the reference document every department at a factory — pattern, cutting, sewing, QC — works from, so any ambiguity in it becomes an ambiguity in the finished garment.
A Tech Pack Page by Page
A well-organised tech pack usually runs to a handful of pages. A cover page lists the style name and number, season, description, size range and version. Technical flats show front, back and any detail views. The bill of materials lists every fabric, thread, label, trim and packaging item with specifications. The measurement spec sets out each point of measure by size with tolerances. Construction notes describe seams, stitches and finishing. Colourway, artwork and placement pages show colours and any print or embroidery. A labelling and packaging page shows how the garment is labelled, folded and packed. Some packs also include fit comments and a revision log.
What Happens Without One
Briefing a factory with reference photos and written notes alone works for simple products, but it forces the factory's pattern team to make judgement calls on fit, proportion and construction that should have been your decisions. Those judgement calls are the single most common cause of a first sample missing the mark — not because the factory did a bad job, but because it was never told the specifics it needed. Every round of "that's not quite right, try again" adds a full sampling cycle to your timeline, which can turn a two-week development process into six.
Tolerances and Grading: The Details That Prevent Disputes
Tolerances state how far a finished measurement may differ from the spec while still being acceptable. Without them, a sample that is slightly off cannot be fairly judged as right or wrong, which is how disputes start. Grading rules explain how measurements change from one size to the next, so that every size keeps the intended proportions. If you have only the base size, the factory has to guess the rest. Our guide to garment grading and size charts shows how size ranges are set.
Measurement Specs Matter More Than the Sketch
A nicely drawn flat sketch matters less than most new brands assume — the measurement spec is what actually controls fit. Chest width, body length, sleeve length, hem opening, and critically, tolerance (the acceptable +/− variance per measurement) are what a pattern maker and QC team actually work from. If you supply a reference garment, have it measured point-by-point rather than relying on a generic size label, since "medium" means different things across brands and even different styles within the same brand.
Tech Pack, Spec Sheet and Cost Sheet
These terms are often mixed up. The tech pack is the full instruction document. The spec sheet is usually the measurement table within it. The bill of materials is the itemised list of materials and trims. A cost sheet is a separate document that adds up what each component costs. The tech pack drives the quote but the cost sheet is the factory's own calculation, which is why a more complete tech pack gets you a more accurate quote. See the manufacturing cost guide for how a price is built.
You Don't Need Design Software to Start
Many new brands assume a tech pack requires specialist software like Adobe Illustrator and a trained pattern technician to produce. In practice, a clear hand-drawn or simply labelled sketch, an accurate measurement table, and honest reference garments or photos are enough for an experienced manufacturer to build a working tech pack collaboratively during development — which is exactly how most first-time private label brands actually start. The key is being specific about fabric weight, fit and trims up front, not having a polished document.
How to Build a Tech Pack Step by Step
Start with the flats: simple front and back drawings with key details labelled. Define the fabric, including composition and GSM, and list the trims. Build the measurement table from a reference garment you like, measured point by point. Add construction notes for seams, stitches and finishing, then the colourways, artwork and label details. Finally, review it as if you were the pattern maker: is there anything you would have to guess? Save a numbered version and share it as a PDF, keeping the editable file. Our guide to making a clothing tech pack goes through the steps in detail, and the jeans tech pack guide covers denim specifics.
Measuring a Reference Garment Properly
A reference garment is the fastest way to set measurements, but only if it is measured consistently. Lay the garment flat, smooth it without stretching, and measure the same points each time: across the chest below the armhole, body length from the highest point of the shoulder, sleeve length, shoulder width, hem opening and so on. Record the numbers in a table, and note which size the reference garment is. Photographs of where each measurement was taken remove any doubt later.
Writing a Fabric and Trim Specification
A good specification line leaves no room for interpretation. Compare "cotton jersey" with "100% combed cotton single jersey, 180 GSM, reactive dyed, pre-shrunk". The second can be sourced, tested and costed; the first cannot. Do the same for trims: thread type and colour, label type and placement, drawcord or zip specification, and packaging. When you do not know a value, say so and ask the factory to suggest options, rather than leaving a blank.
How a Factory Uses Your Tech Pack
When a tech pack arrives, the factory reviews it for feasibility, builds a pattern, makes a first sample, and prepares a quotation from the specification. During sampling it is the reference every sample is checked against, and during production it guides cutting, sewing and quality control. The clearer the pack, the fewer questions come back and the faster each stage moves. Our AQL inspection guide shows how the same spec is used to check finished goods.
Common Tech Pack Mistakes That Cost Money
The most common mistakes are vague material descriptions ("cotton jersey" with no weight), missing tolerances, no grading across sizes, relying on photos instead of flats, incomplete trim lists, inconsistent terms between pages, and outdated versions that circulate after changes are made. Each one is a place where the factory has to guess, and every wrong guess costs a sample round. Reviewing the pack against your reference garment before sending it removes most of them.
Who Owns the Tech Pack
Once a tech pack is developed, it's worth clarifying ownership explicitly — ideally you, the brand, should retain the final version, since it's what lets you move production between factories later if needed without starting development from zero. A manufacturer confident in its process shouldn't object to sharing the finished tech pack once a style is in production.
Tools, Templates and Who Can Help
A tech pack can be built in a spreadsheet or document, in design software such as Adobe Illustrator, or in dedicated product lifecycle management software. Freelance technical designers can prepare one for you, and some manufacturers will help build it as part of development, which is common for first-time brands. Whichever route you take, the quality of the information matters more than the tool. Once the pack is complete, the sampling process uses it to check each sample against your spec, and the lead times guide shows how a complete tech pack shortens the timeline.
Ruhrose's Development Process
Ruhrose works with UK buyers to build or refine a tech pack as part of the sampling process for hoodies, jersey, denim and woven casualwear — whether you're arriving with a finished spec or just a reference garment and a clear idea. Development runs through our Bangladesh-based production team, with sign-off at each stage before moving to bulk.