To make a T-shirt tech pack, start with one product version and write down the decisions a supplier needs to review: the garment’s front and back, materials, measurements, construction notes, artwork placement, and the version being discussed. If a detail is not settled, label it as a question. Do not fill the gap with a precise-looking guess.
A first draft does not need to look like a finished factory manual. It needs to make the design legible, show what is confirmed, and invite a useful reply before a sample is made. Ask the production partner for its preferred template. Tech pack checklists vary with the product and how it will be made.
Decide what kind of T-shirt you are developing
Before you build pages, confirm whether you are decorating an existing blank or developing a custom-cut shirt. Ask the supplier what information it already has, what it needs from you, and which file format it uses.
If you are adding a print or embroidery to a supplier’s blank, identify the exact base style and focus your draft on the changes you control, such as the artwork file, finished size, color, and placement. If you are developing a custom garment, expect to document more decisions about fabric, fit, measurements, construction, and sizes. The supplier can tell you what belongs in its process.
A retail product page can help you describe the result you want, but it is not a production file. A shopper-facing size chart, for example, may list finished garment dimensions without showing how each measurement is taken or what the supplier should do when a sample misses the target.
Mark each decision by status
Many first drafts stall because every field is treated as final. Separate confirmed choices from supplier questions and brand decisions that are still open.
| Status | Use it for | Example note |
|---|---|---|
| Confirmed | A choice you can support with an approved reference, file, sample, or written supplier answer. | “Chest artwork file and finished width attached. Version 02 is current.” |
| Supplier input | A technical choice you want the production partner to recommend or confirm. | “Please recommend the print method for this artwork and confirm the file requirements.” |
| Open | A product decision you still own, such as the intended silhouette or whether a second colorway belongs in the first run. | “Fit direction is not approved. Hold the sample request until the body length is confirmed.” |
These labels do not replace the specification. They tell the reader what to do with it. Do not leave a bare “TBD.” Give each open item an owner and the point at which it must be resolved. A supplier question can move forward when the right person answers it. An open design decision needs your answer. A confirmed choice should point to the evidence both sides have agreed to use.
Build the T-shirt tech pack in a practical order
- Identify the style and version. Add a style name or number, issue date, contact, and version label to the cover. Put the same version on every page. When you revise a measurement or file, issue a new version and make the current one unmistakable.
- Show the garment clearly. Include flat front and back views, plus detail views for features that are hard to see at full size. Use callout lines to point to the neck, hems, seams, pockets, or decoration. A reference photo can show intent, but label what to copy and what to change.
- List the materials and components. Note the body fabric, neck rib, thread, trims, labels, or packaging that apply to your shirt. Identify who is sourcing each item. If you do not know the material or color specification yet, ask the supplier to propose an option and return it for approval rather than inventing a value.
- Define fit and measurements. Choose a reference garment or sample size, name each point of measure, show where and how to measure it, and record the target for every size you plan to offer. Add a diagram so “chest width” or “body length” has a clear start and end point. Confirm any grading steps and tolerances with the supplier. Do not present a single-size measurement as though it defines the full range.
- Locate artwork and construction details. Attach the approved artwork file or identify the file the supplier should review. Specify its finished dimensions and anchor placement to a fixed point, such as the center line or a named seam. Note the decoration method when it is settled. If it is not, ask the supplier to confirm what options fit the design.
- Add labels, colorways, and packing only where they apply. Show label wording, dimensions, and placement when those are part of the style. Record each colorway separately when a change affects the fabric, thread, or artwork. Follow the supplier’s instructions for any production or packaging fields you do not control.
For the shopper-facing side of fit, our guide to making an apparel size chart customers can use explains why a number needs a clear measurement basis. Keep the production spec and the public size chart consistent, while remembering they answer different questions.
Use the sample to close decisions
When a sample arrives, compare it with the current version of the tech pack. Measure it using the method shown in the chart. Check artwork size and position against the same reference points used in the drawing. Record the target, the observed result, and the decision needed. “The chest feels off” is hard to act on. “The sample measures 1 inch wider than the approved target at the marked point” gives the supplier something specific to review.
Group feedback into three outcomes: approve, change, or ask. For a change, state the new target and mark the next version. For a question, name who needs to answer and by when. Keep old versions for reference, but label them superseded so they are not mistaken for current instructions.
A sample is evidence about one version of the garment. It does not make undocumented changes safe. Keep the approved sample, the matching tech pack, and the written decisions together before moving to the next production step.
Send a first draft that invites a useful response
Your first note to a supplier can be short:
Style and version: [name, number, date]
Product route: [existing blank or custom development]
Confirmed: [approved files, references, and decisions]
Please advise: [technical questions for the supplier]
Still open: [decisions you will make before sampling]
Before sampling: Please identify missing information, confirm the measurement method and file requirements, and return any proposed specifications for approval.
This note makes the next action visible without asking a factory to guess which parts of a concept are instructions. For broader examples of the pages a tech pack may contain, see Shopify’s tech pack guide and Make It British’s tech pack checklist. Use your supplier’s requested format for the final file because not every garment needs the same sections.
Keep the product page and the production file distinct
The live Oversized Heavyweight Tee listing describes a garment-dyed washed-black shirt with an oversized, drop-shoulder fit and shows flat dimensions for sizes S through 3XL. That is useful information for a shopper comparing a finished garment. A tech pack needs the underlying measurement method, approved specifications, construction notes, and current artwork instructions. Use the listing as a visual reference, not as a substitute for your own supplier-approved file.
Once the garment facts are settled, our guide to writing clothing product descriptions buyers trust can help translate verified specifications into clear customer-facing language. For more practical frameworks, continue through The Self Made Journal.
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