Tech pack or spec sheet: what to send a factory first
Last checked Oct 22, 2026 · Reviewed by Museify team · 5 min read
Both, in that order. When a new version of your bestseller wins a test, start with one page that says what changed: your bestseller and the winner side by side, the change, the colour, the fabric, and what stays the same. That is enough to ask your factory whether they can make it and roughly what it involves. Before a sample and a quote you can rely on, you need a full tech pack: Shopify’s guide describes it as the master document with flat drawings, a bill of materials, measurements and grading, construction details and label and artwork placement, and says reputable factories require a complete one before giving accurate quotes [1].
What a one-page spec sheet covers
A one-page spec sheet answers one question: what is different from the garment you already make? If your factory already makes your bestseller, that is often where the conversation starts. A simple version has six rows:
| Row | What it says | Example |
|---|---|---|
| BASE | The garment you start from | Your bestseller · linen shirt in navy |
| CHANGE | The one thing that changes | New colour: butter yellow |
| COLOUR | The colour, as a reference code, with a note to check it | Butter yellow · #F3E48A, check the shade with your mill |
| FABRIC | The fabric, and whether it changes | Same linen as your bestseller (unchanged) |
| CONSTRUCTION | Whether the pattern pieces change | Unchanged: same pattern pieces |
| KEEP | Everything that stays as it is | Relaxed fit; camp collar; hip length |
It deliberately leaves out what a tech pack contains: no line drawings, no measurements or size chart, no construction specs and no Pantone numbers. If the change is a design detail, such as a new neckline, it will need a new sample and, usually, a tech pack update.
What a full tech pack adds
Shopify’s guide calls a tech pack an informational master document that details every physical component and construction requirement of a garment, and the single source of truth for the brand, designer, pattern maker and manufacturer [1]. It lists these parts [1]:
| Part | What it holds |
|---|---|
| Flat sketches and technical drawings | Black-and-white drawings of the front and back, with close-up callouts for complex details [1] |
| Bill of materials (BOM) | Fabric, secondary materials, trims and hardware, thread, labels and packaging, each with a named colour and a Pantone code [1] |
| Points of measure and grade rules | Base measurements, and how each one changes from size to size [1] |
| Construction methods | Stitch types, stitches per inch and seam allowance tolerances [1] |
| Label placement and artwork | Where care labels, country-of-origin tags and any print or embroidery go, measured from key seams [1] |
| Packaging and revisions | Packaging standards and a log of design changes [1] |
Shopify warns that without a tech pack, suppliers fill in missing details with assumptions, which can lead to incorrect samples, higher costs and launch delays [1].
When you need each
| Stage | What to send |
|---|---|
| Right after a test: is this possible, and roughly what does it involve? | The one-page spec sheet, plus a photo of your bestseller |
| Asking for a quote you can rely on | A complete tech pack; Shopify says reputable factories require one before giving accurate quotes [1] |
| Before sample development | The tech pack, finished; Shopify says it should be ready before sampling starts [1] |
| After the first sample | Your measurements against the spec chart, the differences you found and a revised tech pack [1] |
A colour or print change on a garment your factory already makes usually needs less new work than a design detail. Ask your factory what they need for each kind of change, because practices vary.
Colour: a hex code is a start, not a Pantone match
The colour in a test image is a colour on a screen. A hex code taken from it is a good reference for the conversation, but it isn’t a dye recipe, and it isn’t a Pantone number. Shopify’s guide expects each material in a tech pack’s bill of materials to have a named colour and a Pantone code [1].
- Send the hex code and the image as a reference.
- Ask your fabric supplier for physical swatches close to it, on the fabric you will use.
- Pick the closest swatch in daylight, and use the code your supplier gives for it in the tech pack.
- Check the first sample against the swatch you chose, and against your bestseller, not against the image.
Our guide to testing a new colourway explains why screen colour and fabric colour differ.
Samples: what to expect
Shopify’s guide suggests sending the finished tech pack to your vendor and asking for a first fit sample; when it arrives, measure it against your spec chart, record the differences and issue a revised version [1]. Expect more than one round for a new detail.
- Sample costs, lead times and minimum order quantities vary widely between factories and garments. Ask more than one factory, in writing.
- Ask whether a colour change on an existing style has a different minimum from a new style.
- If you take pre-orders while the sample is made, base your ship date on the factory’s confirmed dates, not on hope. See pre-orders for clothing.
- The test images are concept images. Once the garment exists, photograph it and replace them.
FAQ
Do I need a tech pack?
To get accurate quotes and samples, yes, according to Shopify’s guide [1]. For a first conversation about a small change to a garment your factory already makes, a one-page spec sheet is often enough to start.
Can Museify make my tech pack?
No. Museify’s spec sheet is one page on purpose. It has no line drawings, size charts, construction specs or Pantone numbers. Use it to agree with your factory what changed, then make a tech pack with them or with a technical designer.
Can I send the AI image as the reference for the sample?
As a picture of the idea, yes. As the standard the sample is checked against, no: small details in an AI image can be wrong. Use your bestseller itself, the swatch you chose and the tech pack.
How Museify helps
When you mark a winner in a Museify test, Pro and above gives you a one-page spec sheet: your bestseller and the winner side by side, with BASE, CHANGE, COLOUR, FABRIC, CONSTRUCTION and KEEP rows. Colours are given as hex codes with a note to match them against a physical swatch with your fabric supplier. It is deliberately not a tech pack: there are no line drawings, size charts, construction specs or Pantone numbers. The free plan has no spec sheet.
PRO and upSee your next style on a model — before you make it.
Upload one photo of your bestseller. Test new colours, patterns and details on the same model, in every ad size, before you order a sample.
Sources
- [1]Shopify Blog · How To Create a Tech Pack To Send To Manufacturers (25 August 2026)www.shopify.com/blog/how-to-create-a-tech-pack ↗ · checked Oct 22, 2026