TECHPACKS
WHAT EXACTLY IS A TECHPACK?
A Techpack, short for Technical Package (TP), simply put is a document that informs manufacturers how to make a sample of your design. Most “real” fashion designers should know how to make TP’s as that’s what you learn in fashion school but also in corporate fashion.
WHAT’S INCLUDED IN A TECHPACK?
There are different pages in a TP and no two TP’s are the same. Generally speaking, these pages will suffice:
COVER: this is the cover page of the TP that shows the design, front and back, with the colorways.
BOM: short for Bill of Materials, it is basically a chart that lists all the materials, trims, thread, placement, quantity, composition, size, weight and description.
SKETCHES: the designer will need to provide a 2D vector technical drawing of the garment, showing the construction of the front and back views of the design. Some designers like to include a side view which is optional. These flats will have callouts that show where the stitching, seams, details, sizing and placement are.
SPECS: the specification sheet is the page that contains measurements for the product. Some vendors can make a sample based on their form/body or silhouette that they’ve already made, but in most cases you’ll need some measurements for your own product.
The above should be fine for a generic TP and factories will know how to make the product. Some other pages designers could include are Fabrics, Trims, Artwork, Graphics, Printing, Patterns, Washing, Comments, Fitting Notes, POM’s, Graded Specs, Production Details, and Packaging. The list can go on as there’s no shoe that fits all.
HOW MUCH DOES A TECHPACK COST?
Not all TP’s are created equal. There are many factors that will determine how much a TP will cost, and there really isn’t any standard price point. It all depends on the designer’s experience and knowledge as well as the garment’s complexity.
EXPERIENCE: a designer with 15+ years in the industry more likely will have more experience designing and creating a complete TP, than someone fresh out of fashion school.
KNOWLEDGE: not many designers have experience working on many categories of clothing. Working in the industry, you have designers working on a specific class or group, such as knits vs wovens or tops vs bottoms, and some designers solely focus on a category like denim or outerwear. As designers move up the hierarchy, they get a chance to work on different categories or oversee an entire group.
COMPLEXITY: techpacks do take some time to execute, so when it comes to denim or outerwear, they’re usually more time consuming and therefore costs more. Meanwhile, a graphic t-shirt TP is more on the easier side and should be a starting point in the pricing structure.
WHY WOULD YOU NEED A TECHPACK?
If you’re looking to use blanks or are only looking to print your graphic on a tee, then most likely you won’t need a TP. However, if you are looking to design your own collection with cut-and-sew products, then you will surely need a designer to create Techpacks.
COMMUNICATION: having a TP handy helps reduce miscommunication and misunderstanding. Especially if you are working with vendors overseas with a language barrier. The TP is a universal document that anyone with a fashion education and technical background will understand.
BLUEPRINT: fashion itself is its own language and has its own linguo so it does help to have a TP that shows specific details, accurate measurements and technical drawings. The TP is a manual to show the vendor how they should make the sample as close to the design as possible. Most factories have different departments that handle patterns, cutting, sewing and packaging, so the TP is a guide for each department to work together.
TIMING: you save time when you have a TP that has all the information a factory needs to manufacturer your products. Instead of back and forth emails and questions, the vendor will know exactly what and how to make the sample. This helps avoid delays in future production as the TP will constantly be updated and revised during the stages of production. With a TP, factories can advise the production lead time as well as estimate how much manpower they’d need to fulfill your order.
QUOTATIONS: it’s difficult for vendors to gauge how much it would cost to make your product without having all the proper information such as fabrics, trims, printing techniques, size, etc. The TP has everything for the vendor to be able to give you a pretty good estimate quote for the production unit and also sampling fee, as well as be able to source fabrics and trims within your initial budget.
NINH 