The tech pack checklist: how to brief an Indian garment manufacturer
Written by the Satyam Exports merchandising team, Noida
Most delays in garment manufacturing are decided before a single metre of fabric is cut. They start with an incomplete brief. After twenty years of reading tech packs from Barcelona, Amsterdam and Bengaluru, this is the checklist our merchandisers wish every buyer used.
1. A flat sketch, front and back
Not a mood-board photo — a flat drawing with every seam, pocket, topstitch row and closure. If you only have a photo, tell us; our pattern team will draw the flat for you and you approve it before sampling.
2. Fabric specification
Composition, weight (GSM or oz), construction (single jersey, poplin, 3/1 twill), finish (enzyme wash, peach, mercerised) and, if it matters, the mill. “Cotton, medium weight” can mean a ₹180 or a ₹420 fabric.
3. Measurement chart with tolerances
A base size with graded increments and a tolerance column (±0.5 cm on chest, ±1 cm on length is typical). Without tolerances every fit comment becomes a debate.
4. Bill of materials
Buttons, zips, labels, threads, interlinings, hang tags, poly bags — brand and reference where you have a preference. YKK versus a local zip alone moves the price by ₹18–₹40 a piece.
5. Print and embroidery artwork
Vector files, Pantone references, placement measured from a seam and a maximum number of colours. For hand-block print, send the mood, not a vector — we will develop a block with our printers in Bagru.
6. Wash and finishing standard
A wash swatch or a reference garment beats a paragraph of adjectives. “Vintage look” has cost more than one buyer a re-sample.
7. Label and packaging instructions
Main label, size label, care label content and position; folding method; pieces per poly bag; assortment per carton; carton markings. Retailers reject cartons, not garments.
8. Quantity per colour and size
Even an estimate lets us quote fabric accurately, because dye lots have minimums — usually 300–500 metres per colour.
9. Target price and Incoterm
Tell us the FOB target. We would rather redesign a pocket than lose the order over ₹30 we could have engineered out.
10. Delivery date and destination
Ship date, port and whether you need CIF or DDP. Sea freight from Nhava Sheva to Rotterdam is 24–28 days; plan backwards from your in-store date.
11. Compliance requirements
GOTS, OEKO-TEX, GRS transaction certificates, or a specific audit (BSCI, SMETA). Certified fabric must be booked as certified from the start.
12. Who signs off
One named person for fit comments and one for artwork approvals. Two approvers add a week to every round.
“A complete tech pack does not make the garment cheaper. It makes the price right the first time.” — Meera Sharma, Head of Merchandising
Ready to brief us?
Send your tech pack, a sketch or even a photo of a garment you love through the enquiry form — or WhatsApp it to our merchandising desk in Noida. You will have a line-by-line costing within 48 hours and a first sample in 7–10 working days.
