Free tech pack template (with a filled example)

Fill the sheets in order the first time. The cover and BOM force the decisions everything else depends on; the measurement sheet takes the longest. Fields you can't answer yet can say "TBD, decide by [date]," as long as they're decided before the sample you approve.

The measurement sheet is the one most first-timers leave thin. Every row needs a code, a plain description of where to measure, a tolerance and a target for each size. These numbers are illustrative; your own fit sample sets the real ones.

Cover sheet

Give the style a number that never changes, and a revision letter that changes every time anything does. Put the stage on the cover (proto, fit sample, PPS or bulk) so nobody confuses a fit-sample spec with the production one.

Flats and callouts

Draw the garment flat, front and back, at true proportions, with seams and stitching visible. Number every detail you care about and use the same numbers in the construction sheet. If you can't draw, a technical designer can turn sketches and references into flats quickly.

Bill of materials

Walk the garment from the outside in and list every part: shell, rib, lining, thread, labels, zippers, eyelets, drawcords, tips, hangtags, bags. For each, give content, weight or size, finish, color and a supplier or reference. Anything you leave out becomes the factory's choice.

Colorways

Give each color version its own column, and give every component a color: body, rib, thread, drawcord, embroidery. "Tonal" is fine if you say what it's tonal to. Plan to approve lab dips or strike-offs for body colors that matter.

Points of measure

Start with the sample size. Measure a garment whose fit you like, flat, and write down how each measurement is taken. Grade the other sizes in steps and set a tolerance for each point. Tight tolerances on things customers feel (chest, length, sleeve), looser ones elsewhere.

Construction

Name seam types and stitch density where they matter: pockets, closures, hems and stress points. Note reinforcement (bartacks, tape) and finishing like a garment wash, which changes size and hand feel and has to be in the measurement plan.

Artwork and decoration

Measure placement from fixed points like the high point of the shoulder (HPS) or center front. Give a maximum size, the method and the exact file name and version.

Labels, packaging and cartons

Write out the care label text, including fiber content and country of origin, and where each label sits. Then the fold, the bag, barcode or size stickers, units per carton and carton marks. Retailers and warehouses can reject cartons that miss these.

Quality and testing

Say what has to be true after washing: a shrinkage limit, no color transfer, no twisting. Name the sample bulk must match. This sheet is what an inspector reads.

Revision log

One line per change: revision, date, what changed in measurable terms, who approved it. When the PPS is approved, the matching revision goes on the purchase order.

The ten-sheet structure works beyond apparel with a few swaps:

• Hats and headwear: add crown height, brim length and curve, panel count, closure type and sweatband to the measurement and BOM sheets.
• Bags and leather goods: swap flats for dimensioned drawings, list hardware finishes and stitch counts, and add load or strap tests to quality.
• Jewelry: use CAD files or dimensioned drawings, specify metal, plating type and thickness, findings and stone settings, and add plating and clasp checks to quality.
• Hard goods: replace size grading with dimensions and tolerances on a CAD drawing, and add function and drop tests.

The principle doesn't change: a factory should be able to build it from the document without a call to ask what you meant.

Run this check before the tech pack leaves your inbox:

• Style number and revision are on every page
• Every component in the sample is in the BOM
• Every point of measure has a description, a tolerance and a value for each size
• Units are consistent throughout
• Artwork placement is measured from a fixed point, with a maximum size
• Care label text and country of origin are written out
• Packaging and carton details are filled in
• Your target cost and quantities are in the cover email or brief
• You've asked the factory to send questions back before sampling

Send the same version to every factory you're quoting. Two versions in two inboxes means two quotes you can't compare.