Why tech packs get rejected by manufacturers (and how to fix yours)

You spent weeks on your design. You found a factory. You sent everything over.

Then silence. Or worse — a sample that looks nothing like what you had in mind.

Nine times out of ten, the problem isn't the factory. It's the tech pack.

A tech pack is the document your manufacturer uses to build your garment. If it's vague, incomplete, or formatted in a way they can't read, the result is expensive guesswork — on your budget, your timeline, and your first impression as a new brand.

Here's what actually gets tech packs rejected, and what to do about it.

Missing measurement points

A sketch without measurements is just a picture. Factories need exact numbers: body measurements, ease allowances, seam allowances, hem depths. They need to know where to measure from and what tolerance is acceptable.

If your tech pack doesn't have a complete measurement chart with every relevant point called out, a factory will either reject it outright or make their best guess. Their best guess is rarely yours.

The fix: Use a template that already has measurement points mapped. Our Tech Pack Templates are built around the points factories actually use — nothing is left to interpretation.

No fabric callouts

Your factory does not know what fabric you want unless you tell them. Not the category (like "jersey"). The actual specification: fibre content, weight, knit structure, stretch percentage, finish.

Colour needs to be specified too. "Dusty pink" means nothing. A Pantone reference or a physical swatch does.

Without this, you will get a sample in whatever fabric the factory had on the shelf. It may look roughly right. It will not be right.

The fix: Every fabric and trim in your garment gets its own row in your tech pack. Include fibre content, weight, and colour reference as a minimum. If you're not sure where to start, the Lightning Launch Vault includes a supplier strategy guide that covers exactly how to spec your materials.

Unclear colourway specs

If you're launching in multiple colours, each colourway needs to be called out explicitly — including which trims, zips, labels, and threads change per colour.

"Same as above but in black" is not a colourway spec. It is an invitation for your factory to make a decision you should be making.

Vague construction details

Stitch type, stitch count per inch, seam type, topstitching placement — these are not minor details. They define how a garment looks, how it wears, and how much it costs to make.

If your tech pack doesn't specify them, your factory will default to whatever is fastest and cheapest for them. That is rarely what you had in mind.

The fastest way to fix all of this

Most first-time founders don't have a bad tech pack because they're careless. They have a bad tech pack because they started from scratch with no reference point.

A factory-ready template solves this. You're filling in a structure that already knows what information a manufacturer needs, in the format they expect to receive it.

The Lightning Launch Vault includes tech pack templates built from 15+ years of working directly with manufacturers — the same formats used by brands stocked at Revolve, Nasty Gal, and The Iconic.

You don't need to reverse-engineer what a factory wants. You just need to fill it in.

Already have a tech pack but not sure if it's factory-ready? A Power Sesh is a 15-minute 1:1 with Bree — bring your current tech pack and leave with a clear fix list.