Sep 28, 2026
What Goes on a Tech Pack (and What Can Wait)
The eight sections a first tech pack actually needs, the three things first-time founders over-specify, and how a lean 8-page pack gets better samples faster than a 40-page one.
First-time founders tend to write one of two tech packs: a forty-page document with CAD drawings nobody opens, or a voice note on WhatsApp that says "like this but better quality." Both cost you weeks. The first drowns the factory in details that do not affect the sample; the second leaves every decision to someone who has never met your customer.
A tech pack is not a work of art. It is a conversation contract - and a lean, complete one beats a bloated one every time. Here is what actually goes in it, and what can wait until the sample round.
The Eight Sections That Earn Their Place
1. Tech sketch. A flat drawing of the style, front and back, with callouts pointing to every construction detail - where seams sit, where the waistband folds, where pockets attach. It does not need to be beautiful; it needs to be unambiguous.
2. Measurements and grade rules. A spec table of every measured point - waistband height, rise, inseam, chest width - in sample size, plus how each point changes across sizes. This is the section factories quote and cut from, and the one where missing numbers cost the most.
3. Fabric specification. Composition, weight with tolerance, finish and structure - the same fields as a fabric spec sheet, which I break down in the fabric spec sheet guide. Attach or reference your approved swatch.
4. Colorways with codes. Not "sage green" - a Pantone or accepted physical standard per color, per placement. Verbal colors drift; coded colors get matched.
5. Construction details. Stitch types at key seams, edge finishes, reinforcement points. You do not need to speak fluent sewing - a photo of a garment you like with an arrow saying "flatlock here" works.
6. Branding and artwork. Logo placement, size, method (heat press, woven label, printed) and artwork files. This is the private label core - get it on one page.
7. Labels, packaging and packing. Care labels, size labels, hangtags, polybag spec, carton marks - the things that surface at the end and stall shipments when forgotten.
8. Notes on fit intent. Three sentences about who wears this and how: "compression fit, intended to sit at natural waist, squat-proof under white light." Fit intent resolves ambiguities that measurements alone cannot.
What Can Wait Until the Sample
Full productionCAD for every size. Grading software turns your sample-size spec into all sizes; hand-drawn sets for each size just create twelve documents to keep in sync.
Exhaustive QA protocols. Your sample feedback round is where fit is actually tuned - write the feedback, not the presumption. The iteration loop is described in the sampling process walkthrough.
Perfect photoshoot-level trim decisions. Drawcord finish, zipper pull brand, rubber print texture - these are sample-round decisions. Reserve the tech pack for what changes cut, cost or fabric.
Why the Lean Pack Wins
Sampling speed is mostly a function of how few open questions a factory has. An eight-page pack that answers everything material gets a first sample in days; a forty-page pack gets forwarded to a pattern maker with a sigh. The same pack also sharpens quotes - when factories price the identical document, you get comparable numbers instead of assumptions, which is half the battle in reading quotations properly.
And when you launch with a tight range, your pack doubles as a reorder contract - the document that keeps style number seven identical in month twelve. Timing new styles around proven sellers is covered in the line-extension guide.
Common Questions
Can I write a tech pack without design software?
Yes. A clean flat sketch, a spec table in a spreadsheet and annotated photos cover the eight sections. Factories read clarity, not software formats.
Who makes the tech pack if I cannot?
Most manufacturers - including us - will build it from your reference garment or sketch as part of custom development; it is faster in their hands anyway. The trade-off and process are described on the custom development page.
One tech pack per style, or one for the whole line?
One per style. Shared pages (branding, labels, packaging) can be annexes, but measurements and construction are per-style documents.
How many revisions should the pack survive?
The pack is updated at every sample round until bulk - version numbers matter more than perfection. v3 beats v1 with three weeks of silence.
The Document That Compounds
A good tech pack is the difference between "make me activewear" and "make this activewear." Eight sections, one page of fit intent, version numbers - and every conversation with every factory gets shorter, cheaper and more precise.
At Miss K, tech packs are standard issue on every private label and OEM/ODM order - built with you, versioned through sampling, and honored at bulk. If you want your styles turned into a pack, that is a conversation, not a project: info@misskyoga.com or WhatsApp +86 136 4085 9182.
