How to Build a Tech Pack That Gets You Right to Production

A well-crafted tech pack is the fastest way to reduce sample rounds, control costs and speed time-to-market. For international brands working with Vietnamese CMT factories, a practical, clearly structured tech pack is the single most effective tool to prevent mistakes that cost days — or thousands of dollars — later in the process.

What your factory actually needs

Factory tech teams want three things: clarity, consistency, and a single source of truth. When those three boxes are ticked, factories can translate your design into production with minimal questions.

Key elements (and how to present them):

1.Flat sketches + callouts — Provide clear front/back/side flats with callouts for stitch type, seam allowances, topstitching distance, pocket placement and trim locations. Use simple numbered callouts and a short legend rather than long paragraphs.

2.Measurement spec sheet with tolerances — Give size-by-size measurements and state tolerances for each measurement (e.g., chest tolerance ±0.8 cm). Factories rely on tolerances for pass/fail QA during inspection.

3.BOM (Bill of Materials) — Include exact fabric composition, GSM, supplier codes (if you have them), and trims SKU. If you require a specific supplier for trims, note supply lead times or acceptable alternatives.

4.Construction sequence / notes — Short, numbered production steps help the pattern maker and line tech understand assembly flow. Example: “1. Attach front neck facing; 2. Topstitch 3mm from seam; 3. Insert zipper.”

5.Size grading rules — If you expect the factory to grade, provide clear grading increments or a graded pattern. If not, provide the master pattern with sizes.

6.Color & lab dip guidance — Give Pantone or lab-dip expectations, and define acceptable shade variance (ΔE). Specify which color is most critical.

7.Labels and packaging — Define label types, placement, hangtags, folding, units per carton and carton dimensions.

Avoid these common mistakes

- Scattered files — Keep everything in one shared folder with versioned filenames (e.g., Polo_Techpack_v1.2.pdf).

- Overly technical language — Use concise, actionable instructions. If a cultural/technical term may be unclear, add a short note.

- Missing tolerances — Not providing tolerances is the leading cause of failing pre-shipment inspections

Practical workflow to shorten sample rounds

1. Create a single tech pack PDF + a BOM Excel and share a download link.

2. Walk the factory through the pack in a 20–30 minute call (record it). Clarify critical points such as color priority and fit expectations.

3. Ask the factory to provide a PP (pre-production) sample checklist and an estimated time for PP and bulk run.

4. Agree on sample allowances: who pays for PP samples and shipping.

Who should own the tech pack?

Brands typically own the tech pack but collaborate closely with the factory. For ODM projects, factories may prepare the initial tech pack — still, the buyer should approve all construction and measurement specs.

A precise, well-organised tech pack reduces risk and cost. For brands working with Vietnamese CMT partners, invest an hour organizing your files and 30 minutes on a call — you’ll save weeks of back-and-forth during production.