Does a manufacturer need a tech pack before quoting?
A maker needs clear written instructions to quote meaningfully; unfinished choices can stay open if the quotation records its assumptions.
Quick answers from this guide
Does a maker need complete written instructions before quoting?
A tech pack is the working file of drawings, materials and measurements used to describe the clothes. A maker needs that information to quote, but every decision does not have to be finished at the first enquiry. Settle the details that affect cost, fit or appearance early. Mark unfinished choices clearly, and ask the maker to record the assumptions behind the quotation so those choices remain visible.
What information should I send a maker for a quotation?
Send drawings showing how the clothes are made, details of the fabric and other parts, and measurements with instructions for taking them. Include any print or embroidery, plus label and packing details already decided. Mark temporary materials and unfinished choices clearly. The maker needs to know which details are approved and which still need an answer.
Can a maker help write the instructions for my clothes?
A maker or someone helping develop the clothes can turn a brief into drawings, a materials list and written measurements. They can raise questions and suggest workable alternatives. The brand approves the version used to make the clothes, so help preparing the document still leaves a clear decision about what has been agreed.
How do I compare quotations while some choices are still open?
Give each maker the same version of the instructions and ask them to identify assumptions and unfinished choices in their quotation. Check that the fabric, other parts and work included match. A lower quotation may describe different clothes. Record any agreed changes in the main document before asking for a revised quotation.
On this page 4 sections
A maker needs clear written instructions to give a meaningful quotation, but every detail does not have to be settled before the first enquiry. This working file is often called a tech pack. It can begin with the decisions already made and identify the ones still open. The quotation needs to say what the maker has assumed about those unfinished choices.
That distinction matters. A quotation based on a proposed fabric describes clothes made from that fabric. If the fabric changes, the cost may change too. The useful question is how closely the clothes being priced match the clothes the brand intends to make.
01The first quotation needs a defined starting point
A drawing can show the shape of a shirt without explaining how to make it. Written instructions add the fabric, the measurements and the details of how the pieces join. They also describe the labels and how the finished clothes should be packed. Together, these give the maker something specific to price and a way to identify missing information.
Begin with decisions that affect cost, fit or appearance. The fabric needs more detail than its fibre name. How it is made, its weight and its finish help the maker identify what is being requested. Visible buttons or other parts need enough detail to be recognised. A print needs its size, position and the method used to put it on the clothes.
Leaving a choice open is workable. Leaving it invisible invites a guess. Write down what remains undecided, who will resolve it and when the answer is needed. Ask the maker to identify any assumptions used to prepare the quotation. Keep that response with the version of the instructions they received.
02Fabric and making details explain what the quotation covers
The materials list should name every physical part of the clothes and their packing. Describe each part, where it belongs and its colour. Record whether it is approved or still being considered. Thread and labels belong in this record alongside the main fabric, because they also form part of what the maker is being asked to supply.
A button illustrates the level of detail involved. Its material and size help identify it, while its finish, colour and any logo treatment describe its appearance. Its position tells the maker where it goes. A general instruction to use a good button leaves these decisions unresolved. The same principle applies to a zip or any other added part.
How the clothes are made also affects the cost. Drawings of the front and back can show seams and pockets, with closer views for details that need explanation. Describe the stitching and edge finishes where they affect the result. A phrase such as “premium finish” gives the maker no specific detail to reproduce or check.
State the planned quantities and colours alongside the material choices. The minimum a maker will run needs checking at enquiry. The fabric source may also set a minimum according to how the cloth is made, coloured or finished. These questions are easier to resolve while the material plan can still change. A quotation should make its proposed material choices visible before they become commitments.
03Measurements make the first sample useful
Measurements give the maker a way to develop the intended fit and give the brand a way to review the sample. Name the size being described and show where each measurement starts and ends. A drawing with arrows can make this clear. The name of a measurement alone may leave room for different methods.
For an elastic waistband, say whether it is measured relaxed or stretched. Record the amount of variation that is acceptable for each measurement. The fabric and the way the clothes are made affect what is sensible, so a measurement allowance copied from another item is no universal answer. The sample and the finished order need to be checked using the same method.
The first sample does not require every later decision to have been predicted. It does require instructions for the fit, materials and making details being tried. Measurements for the other sizes can be developed once the fit of the starting size is settled. Keep unfinished work visible in the document as the sample moves those decisions forward.
Colour and decoration also need references beyond an image on a screen. A print or embroidery sample on the intended fabric helps establish its appearance and feel. Record the approved colour reference and which material it applies to. Approval of a colour on one fabric does not automatically approve it on every other part of the clothes.
04Comparable quotations use the same written decisions
Send the same version of the instructions to each maker whose quotation will be compared. Ask each to identify unfinished items and assumptions. A lower quotation can reflect a different fabric or a different making detail. Until those differences are visible, the quotations may be describing different clothes.
A maker can help prepare the document. They can turn a brief into drawings and measurements, raise questions, and propose alternatives that can be made. The brand approves the instructions. Record those decisions in one main file, with a date, version number and a short explanation of each change.
After a sample review, bring the feedback together before sending it. A fit adjustment may also affect the amount of fabric needed or the position of a print. Separate messages can leave different people working from different instructions. Update the main document when an agreed change affects the clothes, and ask for its effect on cost and timing to be recorded.
For the first enquiry, annotate one drawing with the decisions already made. For an elastic-waist trouser, that might include the intended fabric, relaxed waist measurement, pocket design and proposed size quantities. Mark an undecided fastening as provisional and ask for it to be named in the quote. Before the full material order, replace those provisional entries with approvals and identify the sample production must match.