Photo Credit / Kaboompics.
A tech pack is a blueprint for your garment or accessory design. Imagine architectural plans for building a house; every single detail is drawn out, explained, and illustrated by the architect so that the project manager and builders know exactly how to build the house. In a tech pack, the designer, developer, or technical designer will spell out every little detail so that there is no question at the factory level on how to go about making the first sample and eventually the bulk production.
Development tech packs come first to get that initial sample sewn up. They usually contain the following pages:
- Bill of Materials (BOM): a detail sheet that shows every material and component placement as well as additional info about each piece.
- Construction or Sewing page: an image of the style and details explaining how the garment should be constructed. (There can be a few of these depending on the garment’s complexity.)
- Measurement page: a measurement key so that the factory can heads in the right direction to get the perfect fit for the customer.
Fit tech packs follow the initial development tech pack once the first sample has arrived. The technical designer or product developer (or designer, depending on how the organization is set up) will check the first sample against the tech pack to make sure everything has been made and measured as requested. The sample is then fit on a dress form or fit model. After the first fitting, any changes that need to be made for the next sample are then communicated in that tech pack to keep all information in one neat, organized file. Fit tech packs generally take a few rounds before all is finalized for bulk production.
Once fit gets approved, a production tech pack needs to be made. This is the final pack that will be displayed throughout the factory and in the sewing/packing lines so that workers know exactly how to construct the product. The last round is most critical to the outcome of the final product. It will have all the core pages like the BOM, Construction, and base Measurements, and will also contain information on size grading, label placements, and packing methods.
By Guest Contributor Jessica Sweeney
Since 2002, Jessica has facilitated the creation of awesome apparel & accessory products through design, sourcing, development, tech design, and production consulting. From brand launches at Victoria’s Secret in New York to improving key item styles at Nordstrom in Seattle, she has turned sketches into stylish cost-effective products under quick timelines. Want to make something great? Contact her at Rise Apparel Development to request an initial 30-minute consultation. Visit DevelopApparel.com and follow her on Instagram @DevelopApparel.
