Sportswear Tech Pack Guide: Order Files, Season Planning and Reorders
A tech pack is the written version of the garment in your head. Without one, every supplier fills the gaps with its own defaults and every reorder starts from scratch. With one, quotes are comparable, samples come back closer to target, and next season's reorder takes days instead of weeks. This guide explains what a sportswear tech pack contains, which file formats suppliers need, and how clubs and distributors can plan seasons and reorders around a well-kept order file.
What a tech pack contains
A tech pack does not need to be a 40-page fashion document. For teamwear, a clear 4–10 page file usually covers:
1. Cover sheet
Style name and code, season, buyer contact, version number and date, garment type, target quantity and in-hand date.
2. Technical flat sketches
Front, back and side views as line drawings, with seams, panels, collar, cuffs and hems marked. Flats show construction; mockups show colors and graphics.
3. Bill of materials (BOM)
Every component with its specification:
- Main fabric: composition, knit, GSM, color code
- Secondary fabric: mesh panels, lining
- Trims: collar rib, zips, drawcords, elastic, thread color
- Labels: neck label, care label, size label, hang tag
- Packaging: polybag, stickers, carton requirements
4. Artwork and decoration
Each logo or graphic with method (sublimation, transfer, embroidery), size in cm, position measured from a fixed point, and Pantone references.
5. Size chart and grading
Points of measure (chest width, body length, sleeve length, waist, hip, inseam), values for every size, and tolerances. Include a "how to measure" diagram so both sides measure the same way.
6. Construction details
Seam types (overlock, flatlock, coverstitch), stitch density if important, hem finishes, reinforcement points.
7. Packing instructions
Folding, polybagging, carton packing by size or by team, shipping marks.
8. Revision log
What changed, when and why. This is what makes reorders reliable.
Design file formats
Send files the supplier can work with directly:
| File type | Use | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| AI, EPS, PDF (vector), SVG | Logos, crests, text, numbers | Outline fonts; keep layers |
| PSD, TIFF, high-resolution PNG | Photographic or textured sublimation designs | 300 dpi at actual print size |
| Tech pack, size chart, placement drawings | One master file with version number | |
| XLSX or CSV | Size breakdown, player list, barcode list | One row per garment for personalised orders |
| JPG screenshots | Reference only | Not suitable for production |
Name files consistently, for example CLUB-HOME-2027-JERSEY-v3.ai, and send a single zipped package per version rather than files scattered across emails.
Bulk order checklist for training wear and kits
Training wear orders often combine many items for different groups: tees, shorts, quarter-zips, tracksuits, bibs. Before sending the order:
- List every item with quantity per size and per group (first team, academy, coaches)
- Confirm which items share fabric and colors, which can reduce cost and MOQ issues
- Decide personalisation: initials, numbers, or none
- Confirm decoration per item, since crest methods often differ between a tee and a jacket
- Group delivery and packing by recipient group if that saves distribution time
Season planning
Club and school teamwear has predictable peaks. A simple planning calendar:
- Design and supplier selection: 4–6 months before the season
- Mockups and samples: 3–4 months before
- Size collection from players: 3 months before (see the sizing guide)
- Order confirmation and deposit: 2–3 months before
- Production and shipping: 4–10 weeks depending on method
- Distribution: 2 weeks before the first match
Suppliers are busiest in the weeks before major seasons start. Moving your order earlier is often the cheapest way to secure capacity and avoid air freight.
Reorder planning
Mid-season reorders happen: new players, lost kits, damaged shirts, or a sell-out in the club shop. Plan for them:
- Order a small buffer, such as 5–10% extra in the most common sizes, if storage allows
- Keep blank (unpersonalised) stock for late joiners if names and numbers can be added later
- Ask whether the fabric color and dye lot can be matched for a reorder, and how long the supplier keeps your screens, transfer files and patterns
- Agree a reorder MOQ, which may differ from the first order MOQ
Repeat-order file management
Keep one folder per style that contains everything needed to reorder without a new sample:
- Final approved tech pack and revision log
- Approved mockup and photos of the approved sample
- Fabric swatch reference, color codes and supplier fabric code
- Final artwork files
- Size chart used and any fit comments
- Previous order confirmation, price and size breakdown
- Inspection report and any defect notes
- Player list history if names and numbers repeat
Ask the supplier to quote your style code on every invoice and confirmation, so both sides refer to the same version.
Tech pack checklist
- ☐ Cover sheet with style code, version and dates
- ☐ Flat sketches front and back
- ☐ Bill of materials with fabric, trims, labels, packaging
- ☐ Artwork with method, size, position and Pantone
- ☐ Size chart with tolerances and measuring guide
- ☐ Construction and seam details
- ☐ Packing instructions
- ☐ Revision log started
- ☐ Vector files and spreadsheets packaged per version
- ☐ Repeat-order folder created after approval
Common tech pack gaps
- Logo sizes given for one size only, with no rule for youth or 3XL
- Pantone references for some elements but "match picture" for others
- Size charts without a measuring diagram or tolerances
- No revision number, so supplier and buyer work from different versions
- Missing packing instructions, leaving folding and carton mix to the factory's default
A quick review against this list before sending saves at least one sample round.
FAQ
Do I need a tech pack for a simple jersey order?
For a basic reorder of a supplier's existing style, a mockup and size list may be enough. For your own designs, private label, or any order you plan to repeat, a tech pack saves time and avoids mistakes.
Can the supplier make the tech pack for me?
Many suppliers prepare specification sheets from your mockup. Review them carefully and keep a copy, because it becomes the reference for disputes and reorders.
How long do suppliers keep my patterns and artwork?
It varies. Ask directly and keep your own master files so you are never dependent on one supplier's archive.