Custom Clothing Designer collection is incredibly hard to design and produce. You need a precise and expert tech pack designer to prepare the tech sheet. Unlike a generic collection, you need to prepare custom tech packs for each style you design and produce. Also, you must take the measurements as per the style detailing. The shape and drape of each style is different. So for custom tech packs, you cannot follow the standard tech pack template formats. There are many ways you can prepare tech packs for a custom clothing designer collection. However, the standard and best practices for creating tech packs in the fashion industry are outlined below.
Custom Clothing Designer Collection Summary & Technical Details
To answer the question we should understand the purpose of a tech pack. The purpose is to make the manufacturer understand the design details and intent. So, the tech pack should be well organized and structured. The custom clothing designer should give a brief description of the garment including key features. Apart from this, the tech pack specialist must include all the key pieces of information. To understand what a tech pack includes, refer to our post “Ultimate Guide to Fashion Tech Packs“.
Communication and Clarity With Apparel Production Unit
The expertise of a tech pack designer is how he can tailor the tech pack to the manufacturer’s level of expertise. So you can get the quality of a tech pack when you read the specifications. The clarity depends on how clear and consistent the terminologies are used. Also, whether the specifications are explained with detailed visual references or not. Measurements play an important role. So, the custom clothing designer must double-check all measurement specifications. It is good practice to develop a consistent format across the styles in the collection line sheet.
The Software To Design Custom Clothing Designer Garment Styles
The software you use and the file format you send your tech pack is also important. Most garment units use standard software like AI and CorelDraw. Some factories don’t use any. So you must send your tech packs in a format that can be used anywhere. Also, make sure you prepare an initial sample and identify any potential loopholes. Finally, track changes and revisions made to the tech pack using version numbers or dates.
How Do You Create A Tech Pack That Works For Different Sizing Systems?
Creating a tech pack with different sizing systems requires flexibility and planning. But in reality, there is nothing that acts like one size fits all. Yes, you can prepare a tech pack that will work for all regions. But when it comes to measurements, there is a lot of difference. Sizing systems are different in the USA, UK, EU, and Asia. They measure differently, and they follow a different scale. Each system has its size designations and may differ slightly in measurements. Sometimes it’s confusing and confuses the manufacturer. So, it is not a good practice to follow the system in my view. As a custom clothing designer, I follow the rules based on the target market. The suitable way is to identify the target market and understand the sizing system. Based on that I prepared the spec sheet. This is done on a project-to-project basis.
Building a Flexible Tech Pack
The best practice to build a flexible tech pack is by creating a single base tech pack. In the spec sheet part of the tech pack, you can define grading rules that outline how to take the measurements. This should be with a visual measurement guideline outlined in a double arrow mark. Include separate size charts for each sizing system you want to cater to. Translate base size measurements into size designations and corresponding measurements for each system.
Tech Pack Validation Process Internally and Externally
Validating your tech packs before final apparel production is crucial. To ensure a smooth production process and a high-quality production testing is important. But, how to test and validate the tech packs for their accuracy and consistency? The only way you can do that is by doing a sample. Normally, the garment industry prepares samples to test their accuracy in three stages. In the initial stage of sampling, a rough version of the garment is often made. Factories use ready fabric and materials to test the design, fit, and functionality. Based on the feedback from the initial sample, factories adjust. In this stage, the measurements and fits are corrected. The tech pack is validated and rectified in this stage. Finally, factories prepare the pre-production sample with actual fabrics and materials. This is the closest to the final garment. It’s used for final fit approval, quality checks, and cost calculations.
Testing and Validation Methods and Parameters
The factories evaluate the fits, materials, construction, model fit, and washing and wash care testing. For fit evaluation, the garment is tested with different body types. This can be done in-house or with a professional fit model service. Factories do fabric testing with the chosen fabrics. The parameters are drape, weight, shrinkage, colorfastness, and durability. Also, the factory and custom clothing designer check the construction. Fit technicians check the samples for seam stitching and construction detailing, stitch quality, and finishing details. This can reveal issues like restricted movement or discomfort during extended wear. The factory also checks the washing and wash care testing with this. Finally, the buyer tests the sample with real-world situations. This examines how the sample looks and fits.
Additional Considerations for Preparing Custom Clothing Design Tech Packs
The clients and tech pack designers compare the sample against the tech packs. The parameters include measurements, material details, and construction techniques. The buyer maintains open communication with the manufacturer and shares feedback. Buyers use the tech pack to refine cost estimates based on actual material usage and production methods. So, by implementing the above validation methods you can identify and address the issues early in the development process.
Challenges and Risks of Using Generic or Standard Tech Pack Templates
Generic tech pack templates are useful when you are not doing any style experiments. A generic tech pack only captures the details that are essential in the design. However, it may fail to explain unique features. Those unique features could be custom trims, embroidery, or complex construction techniques. You need to modify the template and add documents to convey your custom details. Generic tech pack templates may miss necessary fields for clear communication. It could be critical measurements, tolerance, or material specifications. Generic templates might not offer the flexibility to showcase your branding and brand management detailing. Including your brand logo, Pantone color, etc. This makes it harder for factories to understand your design aesthetics clearly.
Here’s How You Can Mitigate these Risks
You can begin with generic tech pack templates as a foundation. You can customize it to reflect your specific design needs. It all depends on what you are doing. For generic styles, tech pack templates best suit your requirements. For custom styles, go for a tech pack designer who can custom design your tech packs and spec sheets. This ensures consistency and reduces time spent modifying generic tech packs.
Urban Purple: The Fashion Design Company
As a fashion design company, we offer fashion design services, tech pack services, branding, and brand identity design services. Also, we consult fashion startups with their apparel production and shipping needs. We have been in the business since 2004 and have completed 2 decades in the fashion industry. Our support for fashion startups is unquestionable. We have been the backbone of many brands who started with us from the ground. Also, we run an online store that sells digital downloads related to fashion design sketches, print graphics, and fashion tech packs. visit our tech pack template store to know more about it. For your custom design needs please get in touch with us and our expert tech pack designers will get back to you with a suitable solution.