How to Make a Tech Pack for a T-Shirt (Step-by-Step Guide)

A t-shirt might be the simplest garment in fashion, but a t-shirt tech pack still needs to be precise. Factories work to exactly what you give them — and even on a basic cut, vague instructions lead to wrong fits, inconsistent fabric weights, and stitching that doesn't match your brand standard.

This guide walks you through every section of a t-shirt tech pack, what to include, and what most founders get wrong.

Already know what a tech pack is? Skip ahead to the first section. New to the concept? Read our full guide on how to make a tech pack first, then come back here.

What Makes a T-Shirt Tech Pack Different

Compared to more complex garments like jackets or knitwear, a t-shirt tech pack is shorter and has fewer components. But that simplicity is also where founders get overconfident. Because it feels basic, details get skipped — and those skipped details are what cause a sample to come back with the wrong shoulder width, a neckline that gaps, or a hem that curls.

The sections below are what a factory actually needs to produce your t-shirt correctly on the first sample.

1. Cover Page

Every tech pack starts with a cover page. For a t-shirt this should include:

• Your brand name

• Style name and style number (e.g. SS26-TEE-001)

• Season and year

• Date created and last revised

• The name of the person responsible for the tech pack

This sounds administrative, but version control matters. If you send revision three of a tech pack and the factory is still working from revision one, you have a problem.

2. Technical Flat Sketches

Your flat sketches are the foundation of the tech pack. For a t-shirt you need:

• Front view

• Back view

• Detail callouts for any construction specifics — neckline finish, sleeve hem, side seam, label placement

Flat sketches should be clean, black-and-white, and drawn to proportion. They are not mood board images or lifestyle photos. They exist to show construction, not aesthetic.

Common t-shirt details to callout on your sketch:

• Crew neck vs. v-neck vs. rib neck

• Short sleeve vs. dropped shoulder vs. raglan

• Side seam vs. tubular construction

• Hem finish — single fold, double fold, or ribbed

If your t-shirt has a graphic or embroidery, include a separate placement diagram showing exact positioning in centimetres from a fixed reference point (typically the high point shoulder or centre front).

3. Bill of Materials (BOM)

The BOM is a complete list of every physical component that goes into your t-shirt. For a standard tee this typically includes:

• Main fabric — composition, weight (gsm), and finish (e.g. 180gsm 100% combed cotton, preshrunk)

• Rib — if using a separate rib for the neckline, specify separately

• Thread — colour and type (e.g. Coats Astra, matched to Pantone)

• Main label — woven or printed, dimensions, placement

• Care label — legal requirements vary by market, confirm for yours

• Size label

• Hang tag — if applicable

• Polybag — size and fold method

Each item in the BOM should have a supplier reference or at minimum a clear description. "Nice fabric" is not a BOM entry. "180gsm 100% combed ring-spun cotton, preshrunk, supplier ref FC-204" is.

4. Fabric & Colorway Specifications

This section expands on the fabric line in your BOM. For each colorway you are producing, specify:

• Pantone colour code (e.g. Pantone 19-4052 TCX — Classic Blue)

• Fabric composition and weight

• Finish or treatment (enzyme washed, brushed, etc.)

• Shrinkage tolerance — typically you want pre-shrunk fabric with no more than 3–5% further shrinkage after washing

If you are running multiple colourways (e.g. white, black, sage), list each one separately with its own Pantone reference. Do not leave colour open to interpretation.

5. Measurement Specification Sheet (Spec Sheet)

This is the most critical page in the tech pack. The spec sheet tells your factory the exact measurements of your t-shirt in your base size, and how those measurements grade across your size range.

Key measurements for a t-shirt:

• Body length — from high point shoulder (HPS) to hem

• Chest width — measured 2.5cm below armhole, across the front

• Shoulder width — seam to seam across the back

• Sleeve length — from shoulder seam to sleeve hem

• Sleeve opening — circumference at sleeve hem

• Neck width — across the neckline opening

• Neck drop (front and back) — depth of neckline from HPS

• Armhole depth

• Hem width

Each measurement should have a target and a tolerance (e.g. chest width 52cm ± 1cm). Without tolerances, you have no grounds to reject a sample that comes back slightly off.

Grading rules tell the factory how each measurement changes between sizes. If you are producing XS through XL, your spec sheet should show every size in a single table so the factory can cut all sizes from one reference document.

6. Construction Details

This section specifies how the t-shirt is actually sewn together. For a standard tee, cover:

• Seam type — overlock (serger) for side seams and shoulder seams is standard for jersey

• Stitch type and SPI — stitches per inch; typically 8–10 SPI for a quality jersey tee

• Hem finish — coverstitch is standard for t-shirt hems; specify number of needles

• Neckline finish — rib binding width, fold-over, or other method

• Label attachment method — sewn, heat transfer, or printed inside

If you have specific quality benchmarks (e.g. no visible needle holes, matched side seam stripes), state them here.

7. Labeling & Packaging

Tell the factory exactly how the finished t-shirt should be presented:

• How it should be folded (flat fold, rolled, hung)

• Polybag size and whether it is self-seal or heat-sealed

• Hang tag placement and attachment method (string, safety pin, heat seal)

• Carton pack quantity and labeling requirements

This is often skipped by emerging brands and causes last-minute chaos at the warehouse. Include it.

Common T-Shirt Tech Pack Mistakes

A few things that consistently cause problems on first samples:

• No shrinkage spec — jersey shrinks. If you don't account for it, your size M will come back fitting like a size S after the first wash.

• Vague neckline instructions — "relaxed neck" means nothing to a factory. Specify the rib width, the stretch percentage, and the attachment method.

• Missing grade rules — sending only your base size measurement forces the factory to guess how it scales. They will grade it their way, not yours.

• No tolerance on measurements — without tolerances, you lose the ability to formally reject an off-spec sample.

• Colour described in words — "off white" is not a specification. Pantone 11-0601 TCX is.

Ready to Build Your T-Shirt Tech Pack?

Specter OS gives you the templates, CAD library, and BOM tools to build a factory-ready t-shirt tech pack without starting from scratch. If you'd rather have it done for you, our tech pack service handles the full document from your sketch or reference image, with a 3–7 day turnaround.

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