If you're a fashion designer actively working in ready-to-wear, you are probably very familiar with fashion tech packs. And if you aspire to work in fashion or start your own line, you'll need to become familiar with them. So in today's blog post, we'll discuss the 5 "W's" of tech packs: what it is, who creates them, when they're used, why they're so important, and lastly, where you can get a great fahion tech pack template.
What is a tech pack?
A tech pack is the blueprint for your design. It provides the framework and the directions to create your first sample or prototype. It includes information such as measurements, materials, colors, trims, and construction details. It will also eventually be the final guide to executing a beautifully fitting garment for yourself or others who will buy your design.
Tech packs are used by designers, manufacturers, and suppliers to ensure that the final product meets the desired quality and standards. They are also important for communication between different parties involved in the production process, such as designers, pattern makers, and factories. Without a tech pack, there is a higher risk of errors, miscommunication, and delays in the production process.
Who creates a tech pack and who needs it?
A fashion designer will normally create a tech pack but often a technical designer, if you have one, will also contribute information to it as well. For example, while the designer creates the design and detail sketches, design measurements, stitch information (for the outside of the garment), and completes a bill of materials (or BOM), a technical designer adds a spec sheet, construction details and stitch information (for the inside of the garment.)
When is a fashion tech pack used?
Once the style is designed, a tech pack is created. It is then handed off to your sample room or a sewing factory to make your first prototype. Normally, you will then receive your first prototype, fit it and then update your tech pack again based on any changes made during the fitting. You will sometimes have costing meetings or negotiations before or after your fitting. Any aesthetic changes should also be reflected in the updated tech pack.
Why is a tech pack important in the fashion industry?
Making a sample of your design can be both time consuming and costly. Having clear directions on how a garment is constructed, what fabrics to use and in what location on the garment, the measurements of your style lines and the fit, can all contribute to making your first sample as successful as possible.
In addition, if you are working with pattern makers and sewers who do not speak English (or whatever your native tongue is) as their first language, an accurate and concise tech pack increases the chances of you getting what you want on the first try (or at least pretty close to it.)
What are the benefits of using a tech pack in the fashion production process?
Using a tech pack in the fashion production process has numerous benefits. It ensures that the designer's vision is accurately translated into the final product, provides a clear and detailed reference guide for manufacturers throughout the production process, ensuring that the product is made to the designer's specifications, and helps reduce costs and lead times by streamlining the production process and minimizing the need for revisions and rework.
Overall, using a tech pack is essential for ensuring the success of a fashion product and maintaining a competitive edge in the industry.
Where can I get a template to create a tech pack?
You can download a FREE tech pack template by clicking here. And in this post, I'll review in more detail what information should go on each page.
Looking to create a tech pack but not sure where to start? Our online course, Creating a Fashion Tech Pack, provides step-by-step instruction to guide you through the process. Sign up now and get ready to design with confidence.
See a video version of this blog on my YouTube channel.
Mikelle Drew is a teacher and fashion designer working in the fashion industry for over 20 years using Adobe software and teaching Adobe for fashion design for over 10 years. Check out her digital fashion tips and tutorials here at the 383Degrees blog, on her YouTube Channel, or try one of her group classes.