How to fill in each section
A merchandiser reads a tech pack in this order. For each section: what to write, why the factory needs it, and the mistake that most often changes the quote.
1. Style and order
Start with what the garment is and how the order splits. Give the style reference, category, target market and the date you need goods in your warehouse, not at the port, because sea transit sits between the two. Then give quantity per colour and the size ratio, for example 1:2:3:2:1 across S to XXL. Fabric minimums and set-up costs apply per colour, so the per-colour figure, not the total, decides whether an order meets the minimum and what each piece costs. At CMB Sourcing that minimum starts at 500 pieces per style and colour, t-shirts and hoodies included.
Common mistake: Giving only a total, such as 2,000 pieces, with no split by colour and size, which delays the costing by a day because the factory cannot plan fabric or cutting without it.
2. Fabric
Fabric is the largest single cost in most garments, so this section moves the price more than any other. State the composition, the weight in GSM or ounces, the structure (single jersey, piqué, fleece, twill) and any finish or wash. Give colours as Pantone TCX references, not colour names. If you need certified fibre such as GOTS organic or GRS recycled, say so here: it changes the supply chain and needs transaction certificates for your shipment. If you do not know the weight, describe or send a garment you like and ask for knit-down swatches that match it.
Common mistake: Describing fabric by feel, such as soft and heavy, instead of composition and GSM, which leaves the choice of fabric to the factory, and a wrong guess only shows up at the sample.
3. Trims
List every component that is not the main fabric: sewing thread, rib for the neck and cuffs, zips, buttons or snaps, elastic, drawcords and interlining, each with material, size and colour. Trims are priced and ordered separately, and branded zips or custom buttons carry their own supplier minimums, which can be larger than a small order needs. Write n/a where a row does not apply, as the example does, so the factory knows it was considered rather than forgotten. For anything that touches skin, note whether your market restricts nickel release.
Common mistake: Writing just metal zip with no brand, gauge, colour or puller, which lets each supplier quote a different zip and makes two quotes hard to compare.
4. Measurements
The template calls this the section where most disputes start, because fit can only be checked once it is written as numbers. Attach a size chart in centimetres for every size, state the base size the pattern is made in, and give a tolerance for each point, for example plus or minus 1 cm on body length and 0.5 cm on neck width. Inspectors check bulk against these figures. A reference garment whose fit you like removes more doubt than any description, so send one by courier if you can.
Common mistake: Giving only the base size, which leaves the factory to grade by its own rules, and the result is a medium that fits and an XL that does not.
5. Construction
Say how the garment is sewn: the seam type for each seam (overlock, coverstitch, flatlock), stitches per inch, where bar tacks reinforce stress points, and the hem depths for body and sleeve. These choices decide how well the garment holds up and how many sewing operations it needs, and seam type and the number of operations are part of the price. If you are unsure, write what matters instead, such as a flat seam that will not chafe, and let the factory propose the method. Written intent is more useful than a specification copied from another garment.
Common mistake: Copying construction from another product's tech pack, which can specify seams that do not suit the new garment and have to be corrected during sampling.
6. Branding and labels
Labels are legal content as well as design. UK government guidance says the label must show the fibre content, with each component shown where they differ, and US rules require a permanent care label. So give the neck label type, the care label wording and languages for each market, hang tags, and every print or embroidery with its method, size and position measured from the high point of the shoulder (HPS). Send artwork as vector files (AI, EPS or PDF), and say which garment colours each design goes on, since a print on black needs an underbase.
Common mistake: Sending artwork as a screenshot or JPEG, which must be redrawn before it can be printed or embroidered, with the risk that the redrawn logo does not match yours.
7. Packing
Packing decides how goods arrive and how easily your warehouse can receive them. State folded or hanging with the fold size, the polybag type, the carton assortment (one size per carton or a ratio pack), the barcode format and position, and the carton marks your warehouse needs. Packaging also has a running cost: in the UK, importing goods in packaging is one of the activities that can make a business a producer under packaging extended producer responsibility, and large producers pay a yearly fee on household packaging. Lighter and recyclable choices made here can lower it.
Common mistake: Leaving carton assortment and barcode position to the factory, so the warehouse or retailer may have to repack or relabel the delivery at your cost.
8. Compliance and commercial
This section turns the specification into a quote you can accept. List the tests your market or buyer requires, such as shrinkage and colour fastness, any audit the factory must hold, such as Sedex SMETA or amfori BSCI, and kidswear rules where they apply, such as EN 14682 on cords and drawstrings. Then give the shipping term (FOB, CIF or DDP), the destination port or address and a target price per piece. A target price lets a merchandiser say at once whether the specification can meet it. Your tech pack and patterns are used only for your order and never shown to or reused for other buyers.
Common mistake: Adding a test or audit requirement after the order is placed, when the template says to confirm it before production, which can mean retesting or a change of factory.
The full guide to writing a tech pack covers each section in more depth, and what a tech pack costs explains when it is worth paying someone to draw one.