Knowing how to create a tech pack is the difference between clean samples and endless rounds of corrections. The tech pack is the blueprint your factory follows. Building one well is mostly thoroughness and consistency. This guide walks through it step by step, whether you build it by hand or have Aria, Tchpack's AI assistant, build it for you.
New to the concept? Start with what a tech pack is, then come back.
Step 1: Define the Style and Gather References
Before drawing anything, lock down the basics: the garment type, intended fit, season, and target price point. Collect reference images, fabric swatches, and any inspiration that communicates the look and feel. Give the style a clear name and number, you'll use these to keep everything organized across samples, colorways, and reorders.
Step 2: Create the Technical Flats
Technical flats are clean, to-scale line drawings of your garment, typically a front view, a back view, and zoomed-in details. Unlike a fashion sketch, flats are precise and proportional so a factory can read construction at a glance. Draw them in Adobe Illustrator, or skip the manual work entirely by asking Aria, Tchpack's AI assistant, to turn a sketch or reference photo into editable vector flats, it works on the web, in the Adobe Illustrator plugin, or in the app.
Add callouts to your flats, small labels pointing to pockets, seams, drawcords, or any detail that needs explanation.
Step 3: Build the Bill of Materials (BOM)
The BOM lists every physical component of the garment:
- Main fabric(s), composition, weight, and supplier
- Secondary materials, linings, ribbing, interfacing
- Trims and hardware, zippers, buttons, drawcords, eyelets
- Labels, brand label, care label, size label
- Thread, color and type
For each item, note the placement, quantity, color, and supplier where known. The more complete your BOM, the more accurate your factory quote will be.
Step 4: Add the Points of Measurement (Spec Sheet)
This is where you specify exactly how big the garment is at every critical point, chest width, body length, sleeve length, hem, and more. List measurements for your base size, then grade them across your full size range. Consistency matters: measure every style the same way so factories interpret your specs correctly. Our spec sheets guide covers how to choose and document points of measurement properly.
Step 5: Document Construction Details
Construction notes tell the factory how to assemble the garment: seam types, stitch styles, hem finishes, topstitching, and any reinforcement. Photos or close-up flats of similar garments help here. The goal is to leave nothing open to interpretation.
Step 6: Specify Colorways
If your style comes in multiple colors, document each colorway with a Pantone or reference code for the fabric and every trim. A single style in three colors is three colorways, each one needs its own clearly labeled spec so nothing gets mixed up in production.
Step 7: Add Labels, Trims, and Packaging
Detail your branding and finishing: where the brand label sits, what the care label says, hangtag placement, and how the finished garment should be folded and packed. These small details shape how professional the final product feels in a customer's hands.
Step 8: Review, Share, and Iterate
Before sending, check every section for gaps, missing measurements and incomplete BOM lines are the most common causes of sampling errors. Then share the tech pack with your manufacturer. Expect to refine it after the first sample; tech packs are living documents, so update yours as the design settles.
The Fastest Way to Create a Tech Pack
Building all of this by hand works, but it's slow. Two shortcuts dramatically speed things up:
- Start from a template so you never miss a section, grab our free tech pack template with every part above already laid out.
- Let Aria build it. Aria is Tchpack's AI assistant. Give it a sketch or photo and it researches the details, drafts editable flats, and assembles a structured, production-ready tech pack for you. Aria works wherever you do, on the web, inside Adobe Illustrator with the plugin, or in the app, and from there you can match directly with vetted manufacturers suited to your garment, all in one place.
A tech pack exists to get your product made correctly. Tchpack takes you from that document straight to a manufacturer. If you're comparing tools, see our best tech pack software guide.