The tech pack checklist Chinese factories actually need

I sit between Western brands and the factory floor every working day. I read tech packs in the morning with the merchandising team and call the brand back in the afternoon with questions. I have read thousands of them. Most are missing the same four things.

This is not a "what is a tech pack" article. You know what a tech pack is. This is a "why your tech pack keeps coming back wrong" article. The patternmaker and the merchandiser on the receiving end are not stupid. They are filling in the gaps you left, and their guesses are not your guesses.

The 4 things 80% of tech packs are missing

Across the tech packs that come into our merchandising team, the same four gaps repeat almost universally.

1. Points of measure (POM) with grading rules

You probably have a size chart. You probably have a callout sheet. What you almost certainly do not have is a full points-of-measure table with grading increments for every size in your run. If your tech pack says "size M is 38 inches at chest" but does not specify how chest grades from XS to XXL, the patternmaker is guessing. Their default grading rules are not your default grading rules. Your size XL is now off by half an inch, and you find out in sample round two when you put it on a fit model.

A real POM table has every measurement point (chest, waist, hip, hem, sleeve, armhole, neck drop front and back, etc.) with tolerances in inches or centimeters, listed across every size you intend to produce.

2. Construction callouts at every seam

A flat sketch with arrows pointing at the seams is not a construction callout. A construction callout specifies: stitch type (e.g., 401 chainstitch, 504 overlock, 605 coverstitch), stitches per inch, thread weight, needle size, seam allowance, and any topstitching or finishing.

When this is missing, the factory defaults to whatever is on the machines that are free that week. Sometimes that is fine. On a $58 retail tee, it is the difference between premium feel and Walmart feel.

3. Trim and label spec with sources

I cannot count how many tech packs I have read that say "Yves Klein blue woven label, 2cm x 4cm" with no supplier, no Pantone reference, and no attachment method specified. We then quote on three different label sources and three different attachment methods, the brand picks the cheapest one, and the labels show up two shades off from the brand book.

A real trim spec includes: supplier name (or "factory-sourced, must match attached sample"), exact Pantone or color reference, dimensions, material, and attachment method (sewn-in vs. heat transfer vs. hangtag).

4. Fabric spec with composition, weight, and finish

Most tech packs list fabric as "95% cotton 5% spandex jersey, 180gsm." That is not a fabric spec. That is a fabric category.

A real fabric spec includes: composition by weight percentage, gauge or yarn count, GSM with tolerance, finish type (mercerized, enzyme-washed, brushed, etc.), stretch percentage in both directions if relevant, and hand-feel reference (a swatch the factory can match against). If the fabric is supposed to have a specific performance attribute (moisture-wicking, four-way stretch, rebound percentage), say so explicitly, with the test method.

If you cannot describe the fabric specifically enough that two different mills would come back with the same yarn, your fabric spec is a wish, not a spec.

Construction details that prevent sampling round three

Most brands accept three to four sampling rounds as normal. The honest truth is two should be normal, and a third should be a sign you missed something on the tech pack. Here are the construction details that, when included up front, kill the third round before it starts.

Seam allowance and finishing on every seam. Not just the side seams. Armholes, necklines, hems, pocket bags. The default is whatever is fastest. The default is rarely what you want.

Elastic spec for any garment with elastic. Brand, width, gsm, stretch percentage, and attachment method (encased, exposed, sewn-direct). Underwear and activewear lives or dies on this.

Print and embroidery placement with tolerances. "Centered on chest" is not a placement. Specify distance from HPS (high point shoulder), distance from center front, and an acceptable tolerance (e.g., +/- 0.5cm). Specify the print or embroidery method (screen print, sublimation, DTF, flat embroidery, etc.) with ink or thread reference.

Care label content and language requirements. US, Canada, UK, Australia, and EU all have different care label rules. The factory will not know yours unless you specify. If you are selling into multiple regions, your care label is multi-language. Spell out which languages and in what order.

Wash and care testing requirements. If you have a target durability (e.g., "must survive 30 home washes without pilling beyond grade 3"), say so. Otherwise the factory tests to their default standard, which may or may not be your retailer's standard.

Fabric and trim spec mistakes that cost a season

A few specific mistakes I see often enough that I want to call them out individually.

• No country-of-origin spec on the fabric. With current tariff structures, fabric origin can swing duty rates by 10 to 20 points. If you do not specify and the factory sources fabric from a country you did not intend, you find out at customs.
• No yarn-level composition for performance fabrics. "Bio-based nylon" can mean 30% bio-content or 76% bio-content. Specify the bio-content percentage if it matters to your marketing claim. The number on your hangtag has to match the number on the spec.
• No specification of recycled or certified content. If you need GRS-certified recycled polyester for a sustainability claim, the spec needs to say "GRS-certified, with chain-of-custody documentation required." Without that line, the factory will quote standard polyester and you will not have the cert when you launch.
• Trim color matching to a hex code instead of a Pantone. Hex codes are screen colors. They do not translate cleanly to dyed thread or printed labels. Use Pantone TCX for textile, TPG for paper.
• Hangtag and packaging spec missing entirely. This is the most common omission of all. Brands send a perfect tech pack for the garment and forget that the hangtag, polybag, sticker, and master carton are also being sourced and need their own spec. The factory will default to the cheapest stock options, and your unboxing will look like generic Amazon.

How to write a tech pack that gets quoted in 72 hours instead of 3 weeks

The reason most quotes take three weeks is not that factories are slow. It is that the merchandiser had to send 8 to 15 clarification questions to the brand and wait for the answers. Each round of clarification adds 3 to 5 business days.

If you give a factory a tech pack that is complete enough to quote without questions, you will get a quote in 72 hours. We do it every week at Ohzehn. The factories that quote in 72 hours are not faster. They are reading a more complete brief.

The minimum content set to enable a 72-hour quote:

• Flat sketches, front and back, with all visible details
• Full POM table with grading rules for every size
• Fabric spec with composition, weight, finish, certifications, and origin if it matters
• Trim and label spec with sources, dimensions, colors, and attachment methods
• Construction callouts at every seam with stitch type and SPI
• Print, embroidery, or applied graphic specs with placement and tolerance
• Care label and packaging spec
• Target FOB (yes, share it, it speeds the conversation)
• MOQ and projected reorder volume

If your tech pack has all of that, any competent factory will quote you in three business days. If it is missing more than two of those, plan for two to three weeks.

A minimum-viable tech pack template structure

If you are building a tech pack template from scratch or auditing your current one, structure it in this order:

1. Cover page: style name, style number, season, designer, date, revision number
2. Flat sketches: front, back, side if relevant, callout sheet with arrows to every detail
3. Bill of materials (BOM): every fabric, trim, label, thread, and packaging component with supplier, color reference, dimensions, and quantity per unit
4. Fabric spec sheet: composition, gauge, GSM, finish, performance attributes, certifications, country of origin if relevant
5. POM table: every measurement point, every size, with grading rules and tolerances
6. Construction details: stitch types, SPI, seam allowances, finishing, by seam
7. Print, embroidery, or applied graphic specs: method, placement, dimensions, ink or thread references, tolerance
8. Care label: content, language requirements, attachment, placement
9. Packaging spec: hangtag, polybag, sticker, master carton, fold method
10. Quality and testing requirements: wash and care standards, performance tests, color fastness requirements
11. Revision history: every change with date and reason

Eleven sections. The brands who hit fit in two rounds have all of them. The brands who are in their fourth fitting are missing four to six.

The tech pack is not paperwork. It is the contract that decides whether your sample comes back right. Write it like a contract and the factory will treat your program like the priority it is.