What Is a Tech Pack and Do You Need One for Sportswear?
A sportswear tech pack is the document that tells a factory exactly how to make one garment. This guide covers what goes in it, when you need one, and what to send if you do not have one yet.
- A tech pack is a set of drawings, measurements and material notes for one style.
- New private label styles benefit most. Standard team kits can often start from a design brief.
- Specific colors, placements and measurements reduce sampling rounds.
- Minimum order, lead time and sample terms are confirmed in the quotation.
What a Tech Pack Is
A tech pack, short for technical package, is a file that describes a single garment in enough detail for a factory to cut, sew and finish it without guessing. It usually combines flat drawings, a measurement table, a list of materials and notes on construction and decoration.
The point is to replace assumptions with written answers. If a buyer says "navy hoodie with a front pocket", ten factories will make ten slightly different hoodies. A tech pack narrows that to one.
What Goes Inside a Sportswear Tech Pack
Formats vary, but most packs cover the same ground. Not every section needs to be long. A short, accurate page beats a long, vague one.
| Section | What it covers | Sportswear example |
|---|---|---|
| Flat sketches | Front, back and detail views, drawn flat | Where a side panel meets the sleeve |
| Bill of materials | Fabric, trims, zippers, thread, labels | Main fabric, rib for cuffs, zip type |
| Measurements | Points of measure for each size, with tolerances | Chest width, body length, sleeve length |
| Colors | A Pantone code or a physical swatch for each color | Body, panels, trim and print colors |
| Artwork and placement | Logo files, sizes and exact positions | Chest logo 8 cm below the shoulder seam |
| Construction | Stitch types, seams, hems, finishing | Flat seams, bound neckline |
| Labels and packing | Neck label, care label, hang tag, folding | Printed neck label, polybag per piece |
When You Need One
The answer depends on what you are ordering. As a general rule:
New private label styles: yes
If you are launching your own cut, fit or trim combination, a tech pack is worth the effort. It also gives you a reference for reorders, so the second batch matches the first. Our OEM, ODM and private label explainer shows where design responsibility sits in each model.
Repeat orders of an existing garment: partly
If you already have a finished garment you like, send it as a reference sample with a measurement sheet. Update the tech pack only for the parts that change.
Team and club uniforms from a standard style: usually not
Teams ordering kits mostly need to confirm colors, logos, names, numbers and a size list. A clear design brief and vector artwork cover most of that. Keep a tech pack for the point where you want something outside the standard pattern.
What to Send If You Do Not Have One
Many buyers start with a sketch and a reference photo. That is enough to ask for a quote, as long as the gaps are visible. Gather these first:
- A sketch or reference photo for each style, front and back
- The fabric you want, or a reference garment to match its feel and weight
- Colors as codes or physical swatches, not screen descriptions
- Logo and number artwork in vector format, with placement notes
- A size list with quantities per size
- Label, hang tag and packing requirements
Our step-by-step guide to getting a custom sportswear quote lists the same inputs in the order a quotation needs them.
Details to Specify on Real Styles
Looking at finished garments shows how much a tech pack has to settle. These three styles from the Maswiz range are used here as examples of what each would need written down, not as a statement of how any of them was made.
- Hoodie ART# MI-8604 is a navy and white colour-block hoodie with a drawcord hood. A pack would give each panel its own color code and mark where the panel seams fall.
- Polo Shirt ART# MI-8703 is a navy polo with a white-striped collar and cuffs. The stripe width, stripe order and trim color would need a note and a swatch.
- Tracksuit ART# MI-8901 has a navy jacket and pants with red, white and light blue chest stripes. The order of the stripes, their width and their distance from the shoulder seam all need exact figures.
You can browse more styles in the casual wear category and use any of them as a starting reference. Maswiz Industries makes custom sportswear in Sialkot, Pakistan, with custom colors, logos and sublimation printing, and private label options.
How to Build a Basic Tech Pack
- Start from one garmentPick a reference sample or a clear photo and draw the flat front and back views. Add close-ups for pockets, hoods, collars and cuffs.
- Write the measurementsList points of measure for your base size, then the other sizes. Note how much variation you accept, such as plus or minus one centimetre.
- List every materialName the main fabric, the weight if you know it, rib, zips, drawcords, thread and labels.
- Fix colors and artworkAssign a code to every color and mark logo sizes and positions with measurements.
- Add construction and packing notesState seam types, hem finish, label positions and how each piece is folded and bagged.
- Check it against the sampleWhen the first sample arrives, compare it with the pack line by line and update the pack with any agreed changes.
For fabric terms such as weight and blends, the sportswear fabric guide is a useful reference.
Common Tech Pack Mistakes
Describing colors in words
"Royal blue" means different things on different screens. Use a code or a swatch.
Missing placement measurements
A logo "on the chest" can sit anywhere. Give distances from a seam or neckline.
Mixing units
Switching between inches and centimetres inside one pack causes sizing errors.
Letting the pack go stale
After sample changes, update the file so the bulk order follows the approved version.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a tech pack for a small team order?
Usually not. A team kit is often built from a standard pattern plus your colors, logos, names and numbers, so a clear design brief and vector artwork are the main inputs. A tech pack matters most when you want a new cut, new trims or a repeatable private label style.
Who creates the tech pack, the brand or the factory?
Either. Brands with a designer often send their own. If you only have sketches and a reference garment, you can send those with your quote request and ask what is missing before sampling starts.
What file format should a tech pack be in?
A PDF is the most common format because it keeps drawings, tables and notes in one file. Send the original vector artwork separately in AI, PDF or SVG format.
Does a tech pack fix the price?
No. It gives the factory the detail needed to quote accurately, but the final price still depends on quantity, fabric, decoration and trims. Minimum order, lead time and sample terms are confirmed in the quotation.
Ready to Brief Your Next Style?
Send your sketches, tech pack or reference garment with your quote request. Maswiz Industries will review it and confirm the next steps.
