A tech pack translates a design into instructions a pattern maker, sample room, and factory can follow. Its quality depends on product complexity and the agreed scope, but professional files should make materials, construction, dimensions, and revisions clear.
Technical drawings
Include clear front and back flats plus detail views where construction cannot be understood from the main drawings. Identify closures, seams, pockets, panels, topstitching, hardware, and finishing details.
Bill of materials
List shell fabrics, linings, interfacing, trims, labels, thread, closures, hardware, packaging, and any approved substitutions. Useful entries include composition, weight, color, supplier reference, placement, and consumption when known.
Measurements and grading
A point-of-measure chart should define where and how every dimension is taken. State the base size, tolerances, measurement source, and grading rules if grading is included. Keep measurement revisions synchronized with pattern and sample changes.
Construction instructions
Specify seam types, stitch classes, seam allowances, finishes, reinforcement, edge treatments, and special machinery where relevant. Avoid relying on unexplained assumptions that may vary between factories.
Artwork and labeling
Include artwork dimensions, placement measurements, colors, print or embroidery method, label positions, care information, and packaging requirements. Link or package the correct production artwork files.
Revision control
Every issue should display a date, version number, and status. Record what changed and why. Manufacturers should receive one approved version so obsolete instructions do not remain in circulation.
How to review a delivered tech pack
- Compare the file with the signed scope.
- Check that measurements match the approved pattern and sample stage.
- Confirm that material references are current and available.
- Test whether an unfamiliar production partner could interpret the instructions without verbal context.
- List objective discrepancies and request corrections by version.
For high-value production, consider an independent technical review before approving bulk manufacturing.
Related V.Mora research
For additional context, read our V.Mora tech-pack and sample-quality case study and the Anna Livermore and V.Mora business background.