How to Write a Workwear Tech Pack

Most first-time buyers send us a logo, a reference photo and a sentence: 'navy polo with our logo, durable, for warehouse staff.' We can work from that — but it guarantees extra back-and-forth, because every detail we have to guess is a detail the fit sample can get wrong. A tech pack is the document that closes those gaps before anything is cut. This is what one contains and how to write one that earns its keep.

What a tech pack actually is

A tech pack is the single production-ready specification document that communicates a garment from buyer to factory. It is not a marketing brief and it is not a mood board — it is the binding spec the factory builds, samples and QCs against. When buyers ask why we sometimes quote a garment two ways, it is almost always because the tech pack left a fabric weight or a decoration method open. A complete tech pack lets us quote one firm number and sample it right the first time.

The seven sections every workwear tech pack needs

Section	What it specifies	Why it matters
Flat sketch	Front, back and side technical drawing	Removes ambiguity on silhouette, seams and pockets
Measurement chart (POM)	Points of measure per size, with tolerance	Defines fit; the most common source of sample failures
Fabric spec	Composition, GSM, weave, finish, color	Drives cost, durability and certification
Trim / BOM	Zippers, buttons, thread, labels, elastic	A bill of materials the factory can source against
Construction notes	Seam type, stitch density, bartack points	Separates a 50-wash garment from a 200-wash one
Decoration placement	Logo position, size, method, Pantone	Locks brand consistency across the run
Labeling + packaging	Care label, size label, polybag, carton	Avoids a compliant garment failing at receiving

Get the measurement chart right first

If you only perfect one section, make it the points-of-measure (POM) chart. List each measurement (chest, body length, sleeve, shoulder, hem) per size with a tolerance — typically +/- 1cm on a polo, +/- 1.5cm on a jacket. A garment that hits every other spec but is 3cm wrong in the chest is a failed sample. If you do not have a POM chart, send us a sample garment you like and we will measure it into one.

Specify fabric like a buyer, not a brochure

'Durable cotton' is not a spec. GSM, composition and weave are. Write fabric as, for example, '240 GSM 65/35 poly-cotton twill, vat-dyed, OEKO-TEX 100 Class II'. That single line fixes weight, blend, weave, dye method and chemical-safety certification — and it is comparable across factories. Vague fabric language is the second-biggest cause of mismatched quotes after missing measurements.

Nail the decoration section

• Method: embroidery, screen print, heat transfer or sublimation — each has a different cost curve and durability profile
• Position and size: e.g., 'left chest, 80mm wide, centred 90mm below shoulder seam'
• Color: a Pantone reference (e.g., Pantone 1655 C) — never 'orange'
• Stitch density / colors: for embroidery, target stitch count and max thread colors; for print, number of ink colors
• Special requirements: FR-rated thread for FR garments, reflective transfer for hi-vis

Common tech-pack mistakes that cost a sample round

1. No tolerance on measurements — the factory and buyer disagree on what 'correct' means
2. Fabric by feel, not by spec — 'soft but tough' cannot be sourced; GSM and composition can
3. Logo with no Pantone — screen color drifts and you reject a technically-correct sample
4. No size run — quoting and grading stall until the size breakdown arrives
5. Care label missing — the garment is fine but fails the buyer's compliance check at receiving

If writing all this from scratch sounds like a lot, it is — and you do not have to. Send us a reference garment or even a rough sketch plus your fabric and decoration intent, and our merchandising team will write the tech pack for you, then send it back for sign-off before sampling. That is included in our sampling process, not a separate charge.