There isn’t one format that is the ultimate “best” tech pack format, but some might be better than others for your brand, factory, or situation. When considering what tech pack format to use, there are a few things that I look for to make sure that the format will be the best for communication.
You want to keep a high level of quality for your brand and want to feel in control of doing so. There are things you can do as the brand owner to stay in control of product quality even if you aren’t technical, can’t open your production files, or don’t know how to sew.
Fashion is such a tactile industry, which makes it hard to imagine how fitting remotely could even work. The good news is it is totally possible. Fashion companies who manufacture overseas were already doing it in many ways, and I’ve been helping independent brands develop and fit their designs remotely since well before the pandemic.
Around New Year’s there is always a focus on dreaming of what’s next and making goals to get there. If one of your goals this year is to launch or grow your apparel brand, here are my top resource recommendations that will help you make it happen.
You’d be surprised how different the same design can be in different fabrics. I know this, and it still surprises me sometimes. The fabric has a big effect on the final garment. It dictates not only the look but also the fit and technical construction. Let’s look at how fabric affects each of these areas.
The final section in a tech pack is for sample comments. Each sample gets its own page. When you receive a sample, write down the sample measurements as well as any changes made to the style. Keep track of what decisions were made and what the next steps for the style are.
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.
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.
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.
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.