Technical Packs, or Tech Packs, are like blueprints of the final piece of clothing. The better and the more fleshed out the Tech Pack, the better the quality of the garment being produced. Tech Packs help save time and money, since they reduce the number of errors. Tech Packs also help with quality control and help quote a price more accurately.
What Exactly Is a Tech Pack?
A tech pack in the garment industry is basically a specification sheet that lists detailed information about the clothing design, including size, measurements, fabric and art information, wash instructions, and packing notes. It is like a blueprint developed by designers to explain their design in detail to the manufacturer. The Tech Pack thus serves as a type of instruction manual that helps manufacturers understand the design and translate it into the finished product with minimal errors and in optimal time. A Tech Pack entails making a thorough audit of the time and costs involved in designing and manufacturing a garment. It is thus a device that also helps make more accurate quotes on the price and labor involved.
What Makes the Tech Pack So Important?
A Tech Pack is one of the critical documents in improving the quality of manufacturing. Here are the reasons why the Tech Pack is key.
Saves Time & Resources
The Tech Pack is a fool-proof sheet, meaning it outlines exactly what is needed and how. Thus, manufacturers don’t have to second-guess, or worse, skip key information.
Improves Finished Product Quality
The Tech Pack allows communication between the designer and the manufacturer regarding key parameters such as the fit of the sample. Every such round of the sample offers the opportunity to check the fabric, fit, measurements etc. If the designer perceives a difference in their expectation versus the actuality, they can tell the manufacturer to make the changes to match the specifications. This helps improve the overall quality of the finished garment.
Improves Collaboration
The Tech Pack promotes collaboration and minimizes unwanted surprises. By upholding specifications and allowing for communication, it ensures a symbiotic relationship between stakeholders.
Leads to Better Price Quotes
Since the Tech Pack details out exactly what is required from the finished product, getting an accurate quote on the time and resources required becomes much easier.
What Does a Tech Pack Include?
A Tech Pack typically consists of ‘fashion flats’ or technical sketches that flesh out the minutest design detail. The sketches help manufacturers create a sample that matches the design. The Pack outlines every bit of information that can help a manufacturer in creating the sample, even if they’re halfway across the globe from the designer. So, the pack contains other key details such as fabric specifications, artwork placement, size measurements etc.
A Tech Pack is an essential part of the process of designing and making garments. Use the Tech Pack to help make communication between your design and manufacturing teams much more transparent and efficient, and to improve the quality of your finished product.
