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What’s in an Apparel Tech Pack (for You)? – Spec Sheet

The spec sheet is an important part of the tech pack that shows what the style measures at each POM in all the sizes offered. The chart also shows the tolerance for those measurements – meaning the amount plus or minus that the garment can differ from the spec measurement and still be considered acceptable.

What’s in an Apparel Tech Pack (for You)? – Pattern Card

Industry Basics, Patternmaking, Tech Design

The pattern card lists each pattern piece for the style along with how many of each is needed to make one garment. It is split into sections by material type. Note, this page doesn’t show all the materials needed like the BOM does. This page only shows pattern pieces that need to be cut out.

What’s in an Apparel Tech Pack (for You)? – Colorways and Art

Industry Basics, Tech Design, Textile Print

Colorways and artwork specifications are another important section of a tech pack. The colorways page shows a CAD drawing of each color combination being offered for that season. Along with the drawings, there are color chips showing the color of each material in the style – including fabrics, thread, and hardware.

What’s in an Apparel Tech Pack (for You)? – Technical Sketches and Construction

Industry Basics, Tech Design

The technical section of a tech pack communicates how the garment is constructed. It will always include a tech sketch which is the flat sketch from the cover page with seam, stitch, and detail callouts. Some details will have alternate views such as the sides or inside showing how those details should be constructed.

What’s in an Apparel Tech Pack (for You)? – Bill of Materials

Industry Basics, Tech Design

The Bill of Materials page (called the BOM) is a chart that shows all the materials that go into your design. The BOM not only lists the fabrics, but shows all the trims, closures, thread, hangtags, labels, and packaging materials – everything you need to make the style start to finish.

What’s in an Apparel Tech Pack (for You)? – Cover Page

Industry Basics, Tech Design

You’ve probably heard that you need a tech pack, but the conversation usually revolves around how you need one for your factory. While a tech pack is useful in communicating information about your design to your factory, there are many parts of a tech pack that are useful to you as the designer as well.

Ways to Save Money on Product Development

Costing, Fashion Business, Product Development

Product development is expensive. I’m not going to tell you otherwise. And this is all upfront long before you are able to start selling the product and see the return on your investment. But there are ways to still develop and offer your customers new options while staying within your budget.

How to Make the Most of a Fitting

Fit, How To, Product Development

Fittings are a crucial step in the product development process and can yield a wealth of information about your design. In addition to testing the actual fit of the garment, you have the opportunity to test the design, pattern, and fabric as well. Consider these steps below to make the most of each fitting.

Finding the Right Fabric for Your Design – Where (and Where Not) to Look

Fashion Resources, Industry Basics

Sourcing and buying fabric as an apparel brand is very different from purchasing fabric as a retail customer. As an apparel brand, you’ll want to find fabric suppliers that provide wholesale pricing and fabric continuity. Depending on your brand’s size and what fabric you need, you have different options available to you for buying fabric.

Finding the Right Fabric for Your Design – How to Articulate What You are Looking for

How To, Industry Basics

You know what qualities you want in the fabric, but how do you describe what you are looking for? Most suppliers don’t have swatches of every fabric they offer available for you to look at and feel, so it is important to know how to communicate your fabric needs with the proper terminology.

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Blog

What’s in an Apparel Tech Pack (for You)? – Spec Sheet

What’s in an Apparel Tech Pack (for You)? – Pattern Card

What’s in an Apparel Tech Pack (for You)? – Colorways and Art

What’s in an Apparel Tech Pack (for You)? – Technical Sketches and Construction

What’s in an Apparel Tech Pack (for You)? – Bill of Materials

What’s in an Apparel Tech Pack (for You)? – Cover Page

Ways to Save Money on Product Development

How to Make the Most of a Fitting

Finding the Right Fabric for Your Design – Where (and Where Not) to Look

Finding the Right Fabric for Your Design – How to Articulate What You are Looking for