What is a tech pack?
A tech pack is a must-have document used in the fashion industry that serves as a blueprint for a product. It should be precise, detailed, thorough, and easy to work with.
A proper tech pack will help attract the best manufacturers, reduce sampling time and cost, and eliminate expensive production mistakes. It is a living document meant to be edited as you go through the sampling process. A good tech pack will pay for itself several times over.
I have refined my tech packs over the years to ensure my clients' products have the best chance at success.
Can I just have AI create the tech pack for me?
I am sure a time will come when AI will be able to think and thus produce usable tech packs, but so far various AI enabled apps and startups are only able to produce decent "looking" tech packs full of incorrect information, weird glitches, extraneous / incorrect information, and basically documents that just frustrate manufacturers.
What should a tech pack include?
Technical flat sketches: Also called "flats" these are black and white technical drawings that show the garment as if it were laid out flat on a table. They show every seam and stitch line. There is a standard and "proper" way to create these illustrations to help ensure manufacturers don't misinterpret your design.
Bill of Materials (BOM): Every fabric, trim, label, and even packaging element should be clearly defined and described. Otherwise, the manufacturer can't give you a proper quote. Expect this section to change as you go through the sampling process due to realities of sourcing.
Callouts and Diagrams: Facings, specific seam types, interior pockets, piping, interfacing... the list goes on. Everything has to be defined and diagramed. Otherwise the manufacturer will guess and that never ends well.
Construction: Fashion industry has agreed upon seam and stitch type standards that need to be in the tech pack for every single junction. One of the few agreed upon standards in this industry!
Print/Embroidery/Artwork: Location, type, application method, colors, size, and design file names. You don't want the manufacturer to print the wrong logo in the wrong location because it wasn't precisely defined.
Labels: Brand labels, care labels, hang tags, size labels, etc. The type, location, size, color, and design file names for each label.
Packaging: Folding and packaging instructions.
Specs: Measurements the sample maker will use to create the first pattern for a first sample, with tolerances.
Point of Measure Diagram (POM): Another industry standard- there are agreed upon point of measure for each style of garment. Usually even basic garments have 20+ points of measure.
Sample evaluation form: Once you get the first sample, the first thing to do is to break out that soft tape measure, fill out this form, and see if the sample is what you asked for or not.
What about 3D Design and its benefits?
Budget-Friendly Testing: See what the garment looks like (and tell me what you want to change) before paying for a physical sample. I can change the length of a sleeve, and a pocket or a pleat in a matter of minutes. Also consider that astronomical cost of DHL and UPS for shipping sample half way around the world.
Quick Changes: With CLO3D, tweaking designs is fast. You don't need to wait weeks for a new sample to see changes to the design.
Seeing is Believing: Sometimes a design on paper looks very different on a person. Test your vision in 3D.
Eco-Friendly: Significantly reduce waste and your carbon emmisions by reducing phyiscal sampling and shipping.
Provide the Manufacturer with a Pattern: To create a 3D model in CLO3D, I have to first create the sewing pattern. Providing your manufacturer with a sewing pattern guarantees your physical sample will look exactly like the 3D model.
Stay Ahead of the Curve: More and more brands (from established high fashion brands to startup brands) are using CLO3D and I feel that in the near future, it will be a standard part of the design and manufacturing process.
About Me
My name is Tatyana. I have been helping clients start fashion brands, develop products, and eliminate production mistakes for a decade. I think the industry has enough cheaply made products and want to work with brands that value quality and sustainability.
I work with emerging and established brands, focusing on tech packs and 3D design using CLO3D. I have worked with hundreds of brands over the years, (and have over a 100 five stars reviews on Upwork.) I enjoy working on complex and unique products that require problem solving and creative thinking.
Having a narrow focus and being a solo entrepreneur allows me to offer my clients high quality services with fair prices with quick turnaround times.
