Free tech pack template: what to include and how to fill it in
A free tech pack template for clothing brands: the sections every factory expects, an example of each, and a quicker way than building the file in Excel yourself.
Updated 1 October 2026 · By Hem Apparel
A good tech pack template is not a pretty layout. It is a checklist that forces you to answer the questions a factory will otherwise ask you one email at a time. This page lists every section a template should have, what to put in each, and how to get a finished PDF without building the file from scratch.
The sections a template needs
| Section | What goes in it | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | Style name, style code, category, fit, season, size range | TS-001 · Boxy tee · SS27 · XS–XXL |
| Flat sketches | Front and back technical drawings with numbered call-outs | 1 = ribbed neck, 2 = double-needle hem |
| Colorways | Every colour with a Pantone code | Off-white · 11-0602 TCX |
| Materials (BOM) | Fabric with fibre content and GSM, rib, thread, labels, packaging | 100% cotton single jersey, 200 GSM |
| Measurements | Points of measure, base size, grade per size, tolerance | Chest 56 cm ±1 cm, grade 2 cm |
| Construction | Seam and stitch types, stitch density | Neck: 1×1 rib, topstitch |
| Artwork | Print or embroidery method, size, position from a fixed point | Front 28 × 32 cm, 8 cm below collar |
| Labels | Main, size and care labels, hangtags; content and position | Woven label at centre back neck |
| Packing | Fold, polybag, pieces per carton, size ratio | Fold in thirds, 1 per bag, 50 per carton |
How to fill it in without guessing
- Start from a garment that already fits the way you want. Lay it flat and measure it. This gives you real numbers for your base size.
- Draw or pick a flat sketch. A flat is a simple outline with no model and no shading, so stitching and proportions are easy to read.
- Write down the fabric precisely: fibre content and weight in GSM. Never write only 'heavy cotton'.
- Choose a Pantone code for every colour, including thread and print colours.
- Add a tolerance to every measurement so the factory knows what is acceptable.
- Give artwork a size and a distance from a fixed point such as the collar or centre front.
Spreadsheet template or a guided tool?
A spreadsheet is flexible and free, but it will not tell you what you forgot. You still have to draw the flats separately, grade each size by hand and lay the document out for printing. A guided tool pre-fills common garments, grades the sizes for you and checks for missing details before export.
Before you send it
Read it once as if you were the factory. Could someone who has never seen your garment cut and sew it from these pages alone? If a question comes to mind, the answer belongs in the document.
Download an example tech pack
A worked T-shirt example with sketches, graded measurements, materials and production notes. The values are illustrative; adapt and approve them with your factory before production.
Download the example PDF