THE TOTAL 'TECH PACK' PACKET
[ BREAKDOWN OF THE FASHION TECHNICAL PACKET ]
The tech pack serves as the dissection of all the components that makes up a product. It is the manual, the communication tool, the contract. Taking every contributor through the journey of the product. Below is a piece by piece look at the essential parts needed in any tech pack and quick guides to help create a thorough tech pack. This is a work in progress! Subscribe for updates and downloads!
PACK PIECE BY PIECE:
LEAD SHEET
+ The lead sheet contains all the key information relevant to the product. A header and footer should be placed on each page of the tech pack, so they can stand alone, when needed. This includes: style number, colorways, main material, name, category, brand, contact, date edited. Here is also where the current status of the product can be communicated for the next step and due date.
INSPIRATION REFERENCES
+ Inspiration photos, sketches, and or samples are the start of a new design. These can vividly showcase the design intent as a tool for communication with visual examples. It will also be the basis to refer back to, ensuring the design intent remains throughout the process.
PATTERN REFERENCE - MATCH
+ Using an existing pattern or sample reference is the best way to communicate the new design. This can be helpful for the patternmaker to be able to fully visualize the new piece.
PATTERN REFERENCE - CHANGE
+ Altering existing patterns, removing, and combining product details, is also vital in getting closer to the design intent. The more visualization, the easier the communication between: technical designers, patternmakers, product developers, and manufacturing partners.
FABRIC
+ Fabric Examples and desired characteristics.
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CONSTRUCTION DETAILS
+ Overview of the style. Front, Back, Side technical flat views. WIth callouts of main details.
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DETAIL CLOSE-UPS
GRADE RULES
BOM
LABELS
PACKAGING
FITTING REVISIONS
HANDY GUIDES WHILE MAKING TECK PACK:
WEIGHT SPECIFIC THREAD GUIDE
SPI
+ The more stitches per inch used in a seam, the longer the sewing cycles to complete the seam. This translates in to higher labor costs and lower production levels. A sewing machine sewing at 5,000 SPM (stitches per minute) at 8 SPI will sew 17.4 yards of seam per minute. More stitches per inch will contribute to higher seam strength and more elastic seams, but will also increase the consumption of thread required to sew the garment.
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Using more SPI allows the use of smaller diameter threads that will minimize seam puckering. On some operations like serge panels, it may be desirable to use a longer stitch length.
