One thing I’ve learned about writing is that it helps to know who you are writing to. Who will be reading it changes how you write and even what you write. This same principle is true when it comes to putting together tech packs even though they aren’t exclusively written documents.
Tech packs are put together primarily for factories – or more specifically, people who work at factories – to read. They should be written so that the people on the production line can read them. These people are smart, spatially aware, and skilled at garment construction. They may or may not speak English as their first language or at all.
This is why tech packs aren’t just written. They are illustrated. They include numbers for measurements and stitch codes. They are written in the language of sewing. Though they do contain words, all the key information should be expressed visually as well.
If you know your factory doesn’t speak English, consider sending your tech packs in a format where the callouts can be copied and pasted into a translator instead of embedding the text in an image. Keep your words simple and abbreviate only the most common words where needed.
The best communication, including tech packs, considers its readers.