6 Incredibly Useful Things About Tech Pack for Small Businesses

“Can you please send us your tech pack?” - This is the probably very first question being a private label clothing manufacturer, we use to ask once we start the conversation with a new client. And in some 60% of the cases our clients do not have their tech pack and or found the client is not aware about. After 10 years of working experience as a full service clothing manufacturer and serving some thousands of customers and producing their millions of styles in women clothing, kids clothing and mens clothing, we write this post. We aim to empower you with right information so that you can make better decisions for your private label clothing line and choose right way.

01. What is a tech pack?

Tech Pack is basically the short form of “Technical Package” which contains a complete product map that needs to be created. It is the information sheet that helps the manufacturer to turn your concept design into a practical piece of garment. It directs your garment manufacturer what elements need to be included and where, the type, quality and dimensions of the fabric and other elements. A tech pack becomes a de facto contract between you and your manufacturer. Seeing its importance, we can say that its the “bible” of that garment. It is the grammar of your concept design. If your private label clothing manufacturer stuck at any point during the making, they refer to your tech pack and do what you originally tell them.

Ideally a designer should include all crucial aspect of your design which are -  drawing identifying pleat, ruffles, shoulder type, neckline type, fall type etc, measurements, materials, colors, trim, hardware, grading, labels, tags, etc.

Example of a basic Tech Pack

It is the primary communication tool between the fashion designer and the clothing manufacturing factory, so that the factory can correctly produce the garment accordingly to the design details given in the tech pack. Since tech pack includes very detailed information on each of the components that make up each garment style so that there are minimal errors made on the part of the manufacturer who is making the product line. If a tech pack is executed properly, it should leave no room for interpretation of the correct way to make a product and will serve as a pseudo "manual" for executing each product as it is intended. It is often said “The more detailed a tech pack is, the less room there is for error.”

Tech pack is very important but not a mandatory thing if you’re clear with your concept. It solves many problems and helps at both designer as well as factory end but at the same there is no guarantee that no mistake will occur. Several manufacturing factory straightaway say NO if you do not have your tech pack in place. Or else the factory will charge you unnecessary amount in the name of making of tech pack.  

02. What all information should be included in a tech pack?

• Measurement: Precise measurement on each section of the garment such as - total length, chest, sleeve length, shoulder, neck drop, neck width, sleeve hem, waist, bottom etc.
• Technical sketches of the garment: This includes front, back and side sketches (if design details are specifically placed on either side of the garment), pointing out all the details of the design of each garment. Some examples of design details are stitching (for example: type of stitching, number of rows of stitching, stitching placement) and trim detail (for example: button type, number of buttons, button placement).
• Construction details: Construction details are indicated with an arrow or line directly on the technical sketch to point out pertinent construction details that are placed on different parts of the garment. Construction details can include how seams are joined together, hem finishing, specialty stitching, like topstitching, label placement and more.
• Creative Artwork: This is for prints, patterns, smocking and embroideries
• Fabrics, trims, materials: Actual samples of each, as well as important information about each item, including supplier/vendor information and placement on the garment
• Colorways and color usage, as well as color listings, most often represented by Pantone colors
• Label and Tag: Artwork of main label,  hangtags: Type, details, placement, washing instruction etc
• Packaging: Instruction on how each garment should be packaged and the type of packaging that should be used if the factory is providing packaging services
• Any other item details that make up the product.

03. Do I need to have tech pack for every garment in my collection?

Undoubtedly yes! You should be having the tech pack for every style in the collection. If the same style is being duplicated in, for example, two different colorways, then a tech pack needs to be created once for the style with the different colorways listed separately on the same tech pack. This way the factory will know that the same style has to be created in the two colorways that are listed.

04. Why tech pack is a necessary thing?

If you have a tech pack in place, there is a higher chances that your garment will be made correctly. Factory usually use your tech pack as a guide while making your garment and take the reference during every stage of manufacturing process. In absence of tech pack, factory needs to work hard to get the desired outcome. If there is a tech pack, it eliminates 4-5 steps but in absence of tech pack, at factory level several rounds of pattern making and internal sampling take place which waste the time and resources.

05. Does Tech pack guarantee for error-free outcome of my concept design?

At Billoomi Fashion, we do not discourage our clients if they do not have tech pack. In fact there is a good cost of making tech pack and start up clothing brands or small growing clothing labels who is seeking small batch clothing manufacturer; at times may not able to bear the cost of making tech pack for each garment they plan to get produced. Hence Billoomi Fashion welcomes all those clients too who do not have tech pack but having clear concept of their upcoming line.

06. What to do in absence of tech pack?

If you do not have tech pack, just do not worry! All you need to tell us about your requirement details and you can do this as follows in absence of tech pack:

• Google image - Search the right google image which you think is near to your concept design. Take the paper print out and write all the changes you want on it. Send it through email. Any additional comment such as quantity, measurement and embellishment details can be provided while you compose the email.
• If you have a physical sample and your new design is near to that, again take the paper print and describe the comment in writing on it. And send us through email.
• In case you’re not finding right image and physical sample is also not available, just do a  rough drawing on a piece of paper. Describe your comment in writing over`it and send across the email.

Billoomi Fashion is having great pool of talented fashion designers and pattern makers having sound experience of working on endless designs. Our core team is experienced enough to understand your rough input and see the bigger picture of your concept. We do the feasibility study of your given inputs and discuss with you in case anything is missing. Basically we need some mandatory set of information to begin the manufacturing and that can be provided in above mentioned three ways as well.

Hence do not worry if you do not have tech pack. Or you do not know much about this. If you’re clear with your concept, just draw it on paper, write all what you want to feed to your manufacturer so that it can be understood and after manufacturing both you and manufacturer stays on same page.  

Best wishes!!

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Billoomi Fashion is 9001:2015 certified India's top rated garment manufacturer and exporter of all kinds of woven and knitted garment for men, women and kids. Being a full service clothing factory of India, we typically start with your concept design and ends with door-step delivery. Be it design process, pattern making, grading and marking, sourcing of fabrics and trims, custom label and tag development, sampling, embroidery (computer and hand), printing (discharge, pigment, screen, digital, block printing etc), smocking, sequins and beads work, sublimation, bringing washing effects on denim - Today, we're equipped to welcome any volume, any type of clothing manufacturing requirements of our clients. To know more, kindly explore: www.billoomifashion.com