The tech pack is an essential file in production and manufacturing. Technical designers focus on completing the tech pack and make sure all specs and details are in place before they submit the file to the production line. Those who are new to working with clothing manufacturers may find it complex when looking at a tech pack considering all the sketches from different perspectives including details and specifications makes it look so complicated for a single clothing product alone.
Creating a tech pack takes hours or even days of back and forth work between the client and the designer. Bringing a design idea from the mind of the client into life through the designer is a lengthy process. They need to collaborate and work altogether to make sure all aspects of the product design gets covered and jotted down on the tech pack. It is easier said than done but it usually takes a few revisions and edits before a tech pack is finalized.
In this article, let us discover the step by step process on how to make a professional tech pack: the standard document file in creating clothing designs for manufacturing purposes.
How to Make a Professional Tech Pack
A tech pack is an instrument that bridges the design idea into the production line. It provides the visual representation of a clothing design from different perspectives. With the inclusion of all the details, technicalities, and specifications of the clothing design, the tech pack makes it easy for the wholesale clothing suppliers to translate the product idea into an actual product in the factory. It is important the sketches are neatly presented to avoid confusion among manufacturers.
Sketches in tech packs are professionally referred to as flats. These flats are often created on the Adobe Illustrator software and presented as Photoshop files instead of traditional illustrations. Although there are other manufacturers who accept and are open to different file formats when it comes to flats, the Adobe Illustrator is now considered as the standard file format for flats in the clothing manufacturing industry.
There are different types of flats used in tech packs and here are a few of the most common ones;
1. Silhouette Style
A silhouette highlights the length, width, and shape of how a clothing product would fit on the wearer’s body whether it is fitted, semi-fitted, A-line, box type, etc. The silhouette style sketch must be presented in the flat form with both front and back views. Details such as pockets, collars, and folds must be described within the flat as well as colors, embroideries, and other intricacies.
2. Fastening Method
A fastening method style of flat highlights where the fasteners are in the clothing product. Fasteners include zippers, buttons, and any other additions which fasten or enclose separate sides of cloth in a garment or clothing. This will also make sure the fasteners are in the right places and avoid ill-fitted results in clothing products.
3. Construction Diagrams
The construction diagram highlights the seam lines and stitch patterns needed for a clothing product. There are hundreds of possible combinations of seams and stitches and it is important to specify them to make it easier for the manufacturers to grasp and understand the construction of the clothing material.
4. Bill of Materials (BOM)
Once all the flats are ready including descriptions and specifications, next in line is to prepare the Bill of Materials or simply known as BOM which is a document listing all the materials you need to complete the garment or clothing product. The BOM primarily lists the fabrics needed for the clothing product including fasteners, threads, labels, trims, and other accessories. You can also choose to add packaging materials to the BOM if you are not souring this department in a different garment factory.
5. Size & Measurements
This part is arguably the most technical part since it can be detrimental to the outcome of the clothing product. Always start out with a master size (also known as sample size) and scale down or up depending on your master size for other sizes of the clothing product. Keep in mind designs and intricacies of the clothing or garment will rationally increase or decrease for each succeeding size. This process is called grading which you need to provide in the tech pack which is the measurement differences for each size.
Conclusion
The elements mentioned above are the necessary information and details you need to put in your professional tech pack. The lack of any of these details will be detrimental to the outcome of your clothing product and it may be inevitable for you to lose resources and go back to modify your tech pack all over again. Creating the tech pack is a crucial process because it serves as the initial basis of your clothing product. Check Intrepid Sourcing’s clothing solution: https://intrepidsourcing.com/solutions/garments-production-package/
