What is a tech pack in Fashion?
If you are new in the fashion industry, you might not know what the tech pack is and why it is so important. A tech pack is a short form of a technical packet. This tech pack is a blueprint document containing all the product information. It contains your designs, your materials, and other construction details. Containing all the design and specification details, this tech pack is an essential document used by both manufacturers and designers to communicate. The tech pack for Fashion contains all the little details that could make a huge difference if not understood properly.
The most shared query and concerns of the business startups are about the tech pack, How to start a clothing line or manufacturing process and production. The production and manufacturing part is one of the challenging parts of the apparel business. Many of the designers and manufacturers look with a rush over this document, considering it less important to focus on, this leads to miscommunication, unavoidable costly mistakes, and delays in production and shipment.
Who creates a tech pack?
A Tech Pack is a set of documents created by a graphic designer, pattern maker, or technical designer to explain the tech pack fashion to the manufacturer. Hence, they fully understand the requirements, and by using the information in the tech pack, they produce a product that your customer can buy and wear.
Most fashion apparel makers don’t take orders from the designers and business without a tech pack because it leads to miscommunication and delays, creating a hassle in the future. This shows that the main aim of the tech pack is to minimize the samples and help you save money from trouble. It is like a master document used to track changes and development stages of the product and tells about revisions and changes made.
What should be in a clothing tech pack?
Doing well-defined marketing research is one of the most essential factors initially for your business. The more detailed research, the more gaps and new areas you could find for your brand. Being a clothing brand, you should be able to research the specific target audience that you will cater to. Next, you must analyze what products or services your customer wants. In your case, it’d be business casual leggings or dress leggings since there are so many options available in the clothing industry, like gym clothing, sportswear leggings, causal leggings, see-through leggings, and much more. Finally, you’ll need to decide which niche you’ll be doing your business best.
- Technical sketches, notes, measurements, dimensions etc.
The tech pack consists of technical drawings, flat drawings, 360 view of product, details about the product’s features, and how it is helping. It shows the front and back view of the design like pleats, packets, measurements, stitching details, seams, and a table containing all the dimensions.
- Materials
It also contains a list of materials and information about the raw material that will make up your product. It contains everything name, composition, colours, weight, colourways, finishing details, etc.
- Quantity
It also contains a table that shows the quantity you will get.
- Components
This shows the important components used in the production and development of the product. It contains information about the buttons, labels, embroideries, trims, fastenings, threads, tags, stitches, etc.
- Order Details
It may also contain details like delivery date, delivery address, bulk production details, packaging, etc.
Why is the tech pack important?
Here are the following reasons why the tech pack is important.
Improves communication and prevents mistakes
A detailed and strong tech pack can help reduce the major mistakes that can lead to delays and waste of money. The tech pack ease communication and reduces mistakes between you and the manufacturer.
In the tech pack, you can check if the garment is the same that you ordered or according to your specifications. The tech pack provides your clothing manufacturer with an idea of how your product will be made. It contains the technical drawings, measurements, and components details that your manufacturer uses to produce an accurate design defined in the tech pack.
Avoid delay and reduces revision
An apparel tech pack that comes with details helps shorten the lead times of the product sampling, making it easier for you to bring your product into the market easily and quickly. With a detailed tech pack, the manufacturing company can easily plan the resources they’ll need to meet the production capability.
For example, if you send a tech pack with all the details mentioned in it along with the initial quote of the price. Then, by having a look over the tech pack and all the details, the manufacturer can give you a clear idea about the cost by looking at the requirements, raw materials, components used and other details. This ensures control over the cash flow. This information helps identify major settings and changes a manufacturer might want to make before pattern making, sampling and sourcing.
Act as a production manual
When working with one manufacturer, your whole order gets ready from one manufacturer, although it is passed from one department to another. This reduces the chances of revisions and changes. This is how your garment tech pack becomes an essential manual that helps every department throughout the production process. A well-defined and detailed tech pack comes in handy in all processes.
When doing cut and sew manufacturing , it is essential to check the tech pack.
It saves both time and effort
Once a tech pack is made, you can use it any time. You need to make slight changes according to the product you are making, and in this way tech pack can be easily used.
How to make tech packs
The tech Pack Designer creates a tech pack in excel using the best tips and practices. Here is how
- First of all, you need to create an excel document and make sure to name it with a unique number and style description (like 505- Jeans). In the fashion industry, all the changes are updated to the vendors by numbers.
- Create and format the first page as the cover page and make sure to include all of the necessary details.
- Factory name
- Information about the fabric
- Colourways
- Base Size
- Date
- Company’s name/ Logo
- 360 view
- Front and back sketches.
- You need to make a different page and name them accordingly (Artwork page, construction page etc.) You can make as many pages as you want.
Structure
The tech pack contains a few tabs. Each of the tabs contains a different type of information based on the page. It provides a clear image of the product and ensures the expected outcome in the sample and bulk production phase.
Consider most apparel manufacturers are produced overseas, so manufacturers use tech packs to bridge the communication gap. They refer to it when making the product.
The tech pack also helps in preventing mistakes. Visual descriptions are the best way to define the design of your clothes.
What tech pack for clothing includes?
Cover page
Flat sketch: It’s a line sketchcreated in Adobe illustrator. The flat sketch illustration providesan ideaabout the garment and construction with the help of a shaping and stitching device.
Float Sketch: The float sketch is a sketch that shows the texture, pattern, colour, and drape. These types of sketches are best for presentation purposes.
Inspiration page
This page includes the actual garment and style for its reference.
Construction page
This includes the Description of methods used. You can see pocket placement, seam finishing, and the other specific designs and information that are specific details based on the design and product.
Here are some of the common terms used in the contribution
SNTS-single needle topstitch
DNTS-double-needle topstitch
SNES-single needle edge stitch
Why is a tech pack or Spec Sheet important?
Spec sheet is a crucial part of the tech pack. The specs refer to the measurements of the fabric or products. These measurements are called the point of measure. The best practice is to make each POM specific.
The spec sheet records the specs and measurements in a well-organized form, becoming a perfect source for producing a well-fit garment.
Figure 1: https://www.taas.nyc/blog/how-to-create-fashion-techpack
Benefits of digital tech packs
Here are some of the top helping benefits of creating tech packs
- Faster to create
- East to share
- One-stop solution for the manufacturing department
- Single source of truth
- Intuitive to use
Wrapping up
So, a tech pack is an essential component before moving to production. It helps to clear things, and you can navigate between different parts of your product’s specifications. With a tech pack, you can minimize your number of samples and reduce the chances of mistakes so that you can bring your product to the market faster. A tech pack is the best option for the private label clothing business.
FAQs
What is the difference between a tech pack and a spec sheet?
A spec sheet can be defined as one of the tech pack pages that defines all the sizes and measurements of the finished garments.
Is a Tech Pack Necessary, and how much should a tech pack cost?
Yes, a tech pack helps reduce the number of samples and helps your product gets produced quickly. They cost from $50-$400
Can I make my tech pack?
By following the above guidelines, you can create your tech pack. But you are advised to get it ready by a graphic designer, as finishing and designs are ensured with them.
Can I hire someone to make my tech pack?
Yes, you can hire us. We have a team of professional graphic designers to create a tech pack for you.
How long do tech packs take to make?
These are the working documents that are regularly updated. Generally, it takes [days] days to create a tech pack.
Does a tech pack include patterns?
Yes. Most manufacturing and clothing industries use tech packs to create a pattern.
