A Technical Pack, or Tech Pack as it is commonly known, is a blueprint for a final garment. It includes all technical specifications and design details that will make your product unique. It is basically a tool that designers and manufacturers use to communicate. Communication is a key factor in the quality of a final product.
This post will explain the basics of creating a professional Tech Pack. We will also show you how to create Tech Packs quicker using cutting-edge fashion technology. A bonus video shows how to create a factory-ready tech pack in five minutes.
What is a Tech Pack and what does it do?
A garment tech packs is a collection of documents that designers create to describe their design to a manufacturer in order to make a finished garment. This serves as a blueprint for a final garment and includes information such as detailed flat sketches of design, materials like trims and labels, measurement specs, size grades, colorways, and other pertinent information.
If you don’t provide a detailed and clear Tech Pack, factories and contractors will not accept your order for garment outsourcing. The Tech Pack reduces the risk for both the designer and manufacturer by clearly defining the specifications for the product. A Tech Pack’s ultimate goal is to reduce the number of the sample produced and to bring a product to market quicker. Tech Packs can also be used as a guide to product development, including revisions and comments.
What is the purpose of a Tech Pack?
These are just a few of the many reasons Tech Packs are essential for creating any fashion product.
It will save you time and money
The Tech Pack is comprehensive and easy to read. It will help you obtain error-free samples that are consistent with your original vision.
This helps you to get a precise price quote
Your factory will be able to determine how long it will take to produce your product and, therefore, how much it will run. The more detailed your Tech Pack, the easier it is for you to create your product.
Tech Packs help improve fit quality
Once a manufacturer has received a fit sample, you can add a column called Fit Sheet to register the actual measurements. These actual measurements can be compared to the original measurements in the table and checked for tolerance. This allows you to adjust as needed and greatly improves fit quality.
It is a quality control reference point
You will need to inspect each round of samples for accuracy in measurements, construction details, and materials. You can inform your manufacturer if any of these are not in line with your specifications and they will make the necessary adjustments.
What is a Tech Pack?
Tech Pack information is dependent on the product’s design and type. Here’s a list with the most commonly found information in a Tech Pack for garments.
Fashion flat sketches
Fashion flats show every detail of a design from different angles (frontal, side, side, and even inside). These help the factory and the pattern maker to visualize how to create the first sample to achieve your desired look. They are usually done in black or white on Adobe Illustrator.
Before you start your Tech Pack, it is important to have a complete outfit or an accessory fashion sketch template. These are some ways to make professional flat sketches for your Tech pack:
Your manufacturer will be able to see the garment from many angles, including side views and inside labels. These sketches should include any details that are not apparent in the drawings. These diagrams often include labels with arrows that point out collars and plackets as well as cuffs, fastenings, and bar tacks.
Don’t be a sloppy designer. You will find it more difficult to present your design to the factory if you leave out parts of your sketch. Every seam, dart, and stitch must be correctly placed. A solid line on a garment is a seam line, while a dashed line is stitching. If you don’t see detail in your Tech Pack, it isn’t visible on your sketch.
