Tech Pack, Spec Sheets and Patterns (oh my!)

MADE Apparel Services Podcast

Host Heather Zager talks all about tech packs, spec sheets, and patterns in today’s episode. She explains the differences between each one and the function each one performs. A spec sheet is short for a specification sheet. The single difference between it and a tech pack is that a spec sheet is just one page. A tech pack - or technical package or technical specification package - is essentially an instruction manual with all the information needed to create a sewn product. A pattern is a paper pattern used for sewing a product.

Heather goes into great detail about what a tech pack could and should include. The summary of the points she discusses is:

1. A cover page or an overview page.
2. Fabrications page.
3. Pattern layout page by fabrication.
4. Bill of materials
5. Pattern pieces list, also known as a cutters must or a pattern parts list.
6. A sequence of construction, also known as the order of operations.
7. Several pages of annotations which are callouts:
   1. Just stitch types, just the fabrications, and just colorways.
   2. Possibly a close-up or a more detailed illustration.
8. Supplier information.
9. You might also include packaging information.
10. A space for special notes and another space for version updates.

The possible variations and trade-offs in information included in tech packs are explained by Heather and she breaks down exactly how a pattern works, when spec sheets are useful, and what other episodes of her podcast will explain certain pieces of information in greater detail. Heather’s knowledge and expertise help to make the process of designing and manufacturing sewn goods easier to understand and less daunting to attempt.

About Heather Zager | MADE Apparel Services Founder and Owner

Heather Zager found her calling when she signed up for a beginning pattern-making course and realized she had a passion for technical design. She subsequently enrolled in the Apparel Design and Development program at Seattle Central College and graduated two years later with her Associate of Applied Science Degree.

After graduation, she began working with Meta assisting in developing and designing augmented and virtual reality wearable tech gear. In 2020, MADE Apparel Services was born with the idea of helping makers, inventors and designers bring their own sewn product ideas to manufacture. Since then, she has worked with various businesses such as Santa’s Tailor, Feathered Friends, Wolfpack Gear and Classic Accessories, helping them achieve their goals in design, development, pattern making, sewn construction and manufacture.

Today, Heather continues to grow her knowledge and share her experiences with others to bring their visions to reality.

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Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Episode 8: Concept to Customer Part 4 - Preparing for Manufacture
• MADE Apparel Services: Sample Tech Pack

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Contact Heather Zager | MADE Apparel Services:

• Website: MADEApparelServices.com
• Facebook: MADEApparelServices
• Instagram: MADEApparelServices
• Linkedin: MADEApparelServices
  
  

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Transcript

Heather Zager: [00:00:00] Hello everyone and welcome to the Made Apparel Services Podcast. My name is Heather Zager and I will be your host for this series. I am also the founder of Made Apparel Services, which is a sewn product development company for small brands. Whether you are just starting out or a seasoned pro, I have a lot of resources to help you on your journey to manufacture. Don't forget to sign up for my newsletter and follow me on social media for other fun updates. Links to both are always in the show notes.

Heather Zager: [00:00:29] Hello and welcome back to my podcast channel. My name is Heather Zager with Made Apparel Services. And today I'm going to talk about the difference between a tech pack, a spec sheet and a pattern. And by pattern I mean a paper pattern you use for sewing a sewn product, not the pattern on your sheets or your wallpaper. First, they are all something different and it is very straightforward. But let's start with talking about a spec sheet, as this is the one that people seem to misunderstand the most and may not even be realizing it. So a spec sheet is short for specification sheet. The single key difference between this and a tech pack is that a spec sheet is just one page. Now, a spec sheet is commonly thought of as a summary page that highlights the most important features of a sewn design, but this means that several specs end up on a single page at one time, and this can become a problem in manufacture, and I'll explain more on that in a moment.

Heather Zager: [00:01:35] In the way that people think of a spec sheet, it would actually be more appropriate to call the single page a design summary. There are a few disadvantages to a design summary. First, there is no standard for how these should look or what they should contain. Second, if there is too much information within your design summary, it can become hard to read and confusing. Imagine if Ikea crammed all of their furniture construction information into a single page. Alternatively, if you don't have enough information, then there will be a lot of details you leave to the manufacturer to figure out. So the answer to this problem is to use a tech pack instead. A tech pack or technical package or technical specification package can be thought of as an instruction manual that includes all the information needed to create a sewn product. There are varying opinions on how much information a tech pack should contain, but for my clients, my goal is to keep the manufacturer from guessing on anything. You can certainly get to manufacturer with just a design summary or a spec sheet, but you open yourself up to misunderstandings and confusions that will then push out deadlines, even if those deadlines are only self-imposed and increase costs, along with create frustration for both you and your manufacturer.

Heather Zager: [00:02:58] To give you an idea of what a thorough and complete tech pack will look like, mine are usually no less than around 11 pages if each spec is just one page. Now, a spec can span more than one page if needed, but should only be covering the details of that spec within those pages. For example, a pattern pieces list. You might need more than one page to list all of your pattern pieces if you have a more complicated design, like an outdoor jacket that's lined with lots of pockets and plackets and buttons. And that's okay, because your spec is still the pattern pieces list across two pages. The 11 pages that I just mentioned that are in my tech pack are as follows, and these will be listed in the show notes for you. First page of your tech pack is just a cover page or an overview page. It will contain just a description and some black and white sketches. The description will be a long sentence that describes the design and the features that go into it. The sketches are just black and white sketches, usually just a front and a back, but you can also include a side view if you feel that's helpful to convey your concept. And that's all. They ...