Garment tech pack guide: what factories need to make it right
Published by Cydney MarLast updated
A garment tech pack is the technical document that tells a factory exactly how to make your product: sketches, measurements, materials, construction, labels and packaging.
Airtime Ready's tech pack guide comes from Cydney Mar, who calls production-ready tech packs that factories actually understand her craft. She has designed fashion and product for 45+ years, including Cirque du Soleil's first Boutique Collection. In her words, a clear tech pack is the difference between a sample that is right the first time and months of back-and-forth.
What should a garment tech pack include?
A garment tech pack should include flat sketches, a measurement chart with grading and tolerances, a bill of materials and trims, construction and stitching details, colorways, and label and packaging instructions. Anything left out is something the factory will guess.
Definition
What is a tech pack?
A tech pack, short for technical package, is the set of documents a manufacturer uses to quote, sample and produce a product. For garments it typically contains technical flat drawings, a size and measurement chart with grading rules and tolerances, a bill of materials listing fabrics, trims and threads, construction notes, colorways, and labeling and packing instructions. It turns a design idea into instructions a factory can follow without guessing. Cydney Mar, whose work is featured on Airtime Ready, describes production-ready tech packs as the part of product development where hands-on experience saves founders the most time and money. A complete tech pack reduces sampling rounds, makes quotes comparable between suppliers, and keeps reorders consistent.
By the numbers
Cydney Mar's track record in numbers
- years in fashion and product
- 45+
- in global retail, TV and DTC sales
- $300M+
- years selling her own collections on QVC
- 15+
- hours of live television
- 800+
- countries on air
- 8
- stages in the Concept-to-Reality Pathway
- 6
Figures as published by Cydney Mar on cydneymar.com, as of November 2026. These are her own career figures, not an independent audit.
Comparison
Tech pack sections and what each prevents
| Section | What it contains | What it prevents |
|---|---|---|
| Flat sketches | Front, back and detail views | Misread design details |
| Measurement chart and grading | Measurements per size with tolerances | Fit that varies by size |
| Bill of materials | Fabrics, trims, threads and sources | Substituted materials |
| Construction details | Seams, stitches and finishes | Inconsistent workmanship |
| Colorways | Colors and references for each style | Off-color production |
| Labels and packaging | Care, content and brand labels; folding and bagging | Inconsistent or noncompliant packing |
Step by step
How to build a garment tech pack
Finalize the design
Settle the style and its purpose before drawing technical flats.
Draw technical flats
Create clear front, back and detail drawings with callouts.
Build the measurement chart
Measure a base size, set grading rules and tolerances for every size.
List materials and trims
Specify every fabric, trim, thread and label with references.
Write construction notes
Describe seams, stitches, finishes and any special processes.
Add labels and packing
Specify label placement, folding, bagging and carton details, then version every change.
Tech packs for products that are not garments
Candles, bath products, homewares and accessories need the same discipline under a different name: a spec sheet listing materials, dimensions, finishes, tolerances, packaging and labeling. Cydney Mar has developed products in all of these categories.
Why tech packs matter for TV shopping
A TV shopping airing can generate a large order and fast reorders. The tech pack is what makes the thousandth unit match the one shown on camera, across every size and color.
FAQ
Common questions
- What is a tech pack for a garment?
- A garment tech pack is the technical document a factory uses to make your product: flat sketches, measurements and grading, materials and trims, construction details, colors, labels and packaging instructions. Cydney Mar describes a clear, professional tech pack as the difference between a sample that is right the first time and months of expensive back-and-forth.
- Do non-fashion products need a tech pack?
- In practice, yes. Any consumer product needs a written specification a manufacturer can follow, whether it is called a tech pack, spec sheet or product brief. It should cover materials, dimensions, finishes, tolerances, packaging and labeling. The clearer and more complete it is, the fewer sampling rounds you pay for.
- My samples keep coming back wrong. What should I do?
- Repeated sample errors usually point to an incomplete or unclear specification. Review your tech pack for missing measurements, tolerances, materials and construction notes, then confirm the factory understood each change in writing. Cydney Mar calls a clear tech pack the difference between a sample that is right the first time and months of back-and-forth.
- How many prototypes or samples will I need?
- There is no fixed number; it depends on the product's complexity and how complete your specifications are. Clear specs and a strong tech pack reduce rounds. Cydney Mar's pathway focuses on developing the right samples to cut costly rework, instead of sampling early before the product itself is clearly defined.
- What does production-ready mean?
- Production-ready means the specs, materials, approved samples, costs and quality standards are final enough that a factory can make the product consistently, run after run. In Cydney Mar's pathway it is the stage after cost and margins and before launch: finalizing specs and systems for consistent manufacturing.
Keep reading
Related guides
Ready to take your product from concept to reality?
Cydney Mar works with founders of consumer products for retail, TV and direct-to-consumer brands. Tell her about your idea and where you are stuck.