Tech Pack Software Comparisons (and the best free option)

Manufacturing clothing doesn’t have to be hard. All you need is precise communication with factories and suppliers. Which is why tech packs are essential in product development.

Tech packs are blueprints for your garments, containing all the instructions and materials required to create a garment.

But, do you need tech pack software to create a tech pack? What benefits does it offer? And what are the best free alternatives?

My quick answer (based on 10+ years of experience working as a fashion designer and successful fashion freelancer) is that tech pack software can be a great asset, but you don’t always need it.

WHY Are You Looking for Tech Pack Software In the First Place?

The right tech pack software can help with product development and manufacturing. But sometimes it’s unnecessary. It’s important to ask yourself WHY you’re looking for the software in the first place…

Here’s the thing with tech packs…fancy software aside, you still need to *understand* how tech packs work and how to make one. Just like fancy paint supplies won’t make you a great painter, tech pack software won’t make you a great, well, tech pack-er (industry role is usually technical designer)!

Still need to learn the basics? Get started with my free step-by-step tech pack guide here.

In this article, I’ll cover the pros and cons of tech pack software, compare popular options in the fashion industry, and when you should (or shouldn’t) use it. Let’s get to it.

What is the purpose of a tech pack?

First, let’s cover the basics. The purpose of a detailed tech pack is to provide precise instructions for your manufacturers to produce garments accurately and efficiently. It includes information on materials, measurements, construction methods, colorways, and other details needed for production.

Tech packs help ensure consistency in quality, reduce errors during manufacturing, and hold factories accountable. (You definitely don’t want fingers pointing back at you when a factory effs up!)

What does tech pack stand for in fashion?

In fashion design lingo, “tech pack” is short for “technical package.” Without a tech pack, you’re basically telling someone to bake a cake without the recipe. You need to know the right amount of ingredients, how to bake it, or even what decorations to use! The same is true for a factory that is making your clothing designs. You need to tell them the types of fabric, stitching, construction techniques, fit, and more. This is what your tech pack is for!

What Is Tech Pack Software?

There are a few ways to make tech packs, and one way is with software.

Tech pack software makes the process of creating professional, factory-ready tech packs easier.

This includes all the parts of a detailed tech pack like technical drawings, detailed specifications, packaging materials, a BOM (Bill Of Materials), and a POM (Points Of Measure).

It also allows you to create libraries of fabrics, trims, POMs, and more. As you build out new tech packs, you can recycle these components over and over (which is super handy!).

Built-in tools make tracking changes and collaboration between designers, product developers, and the factory much easier.

So yes, tech pack software can be a very powerful tool! There’s no doubt it can make the production process easier.

Managing Production With Tech Pack Software

Not only can you create tech packs, but it also helps manage production.

With tech pack software, you can:

Create shareable links or export options for your digital tech packs so factory partners can quickly review them without needing specialized software or licenses.
Use features to help track changes and different versions to help everyone stay on the same page.
Get feedback from manufacturers directly into your tech packs using comment tools to keep everything organized in one place.
Easily collaborate with team members by granting them access to specific sections within your tech pack.
Get real-time updates for any step in the process when you use cloud-based software.

Software for tech packs can be a great asset. But you really need to consider if it makes sense given your specific circumstances.

Benefits of Using Tech Pack Software

There are lots of benefits to using tech pack software and can really help your workflow.

Automating processes: Digital tech packs automate repetitive tasks.
Better communication: Everyone can add real-time input.
Easier revisions: Making updates to a tech pack can be simpler by reducing errors and saving time.
Holding factories accountable: A good tech pack serves as an instruction manual for creating factory-ready garments, ensuring quality control measures are met.
Data organization: Managing product information within a centralized platform streamlines decision-making throughout the entire design process.

Challenges of Using Tech Pack Software

Using software can be a game-changer for fashion designers, but there are also challenges.

Expense: Professional solutions can be expensive.
Learning Curve: Mastering new software can be challenging.
User Adoption: Getting everyone on board with new technology can be tricky, and since there are multiple options in the market, things get even harder.

So, Do You Need Tech Pack Software?

After working 10+ years in the fashion industry, I’ve formed some opinions. My thoughts on it are that it depends!

The challenge with tech pack software is that there are many available in the market. All these various companies are racing to win the market. It’s a race I’ve witnessed for almost 2 decades, and there isn’t a clear winner. With multiple options for everyone to choose from, it makes everything tricky!

So, let’s talk about whether you should or shouldn’t use tech pack software.

Tech Pack Software is great for…

Fashion brands with in-house teams producing multiple styles over and over.

For larger more established brands, using software makes sense. These brands can afford the software subscription fees, and it’s efficient to cross-train team members. Since they’re continually designing and manufacturing, they’ll have components that they’ll use all the time — various fabrics, trims and POMs will be used across many styles.

Tech Pack Software might not be great for…

Freelance fashion designers / technical designers who work with multiple clients.

There are many reasons why it doesn’t make sense for fashion freelancers to use tech pack software. Here are some:

Cost: Most software charges a monthly subscription per user. If your clients want to have access to edit the tech packs either (while they’re working with you or in the future), you’ve created a barrier and they’ll need to pay for a subscription.
User Adoption: Not all brands are willing to work with the one software you’ve chosen. What if they’re using a different software? Or they just don’t want to get into *another* software?
Learning Curve: If your clients want to access or edit anything, they have to learn the software.
Locked In: If you create a bunch of tech packs using proprietary software, what happens if you decide to pause your subscription for a while (or cancel it forever)? All your tech packs are “locked up” inside that software, and without it, you can’t access or edit them. All you have are uneditable PDFs.
Time Investment: One of the biggest benefits of tech pack software is the asset libraries. But it takes a LOT of time to build these! As a freelancer, you’ll likely work with smaller brands that may only be doing a few styles. It might not warrant the time required for just a couple styles. If the brand is bigger and more established, then they likely are already using software. They can add you to their subscription.

See how Eleni is killing it as a freelancer by making only tech packs! For Eleni, using Excel or Google Sheets is the better option.

Start-up fashion brands who are not yet producing large collections on an ongoing basis.

When you’re just starting your brand, you’re likely only producing a few styles. It might not make a lot of sense to invest time or money into a software. Here’s why:

Learning Curve: If you’re new to the industry, it’s challenging enough to wrap your head around what goes in a tech pack and how to create one. Add new software to that equation and it gets overwhelming fast.
Locked In: Just as I mentioned for freelancers, you potentially lose access if you ever decide to stop using the software or pause your subscription.
Time Investment: Since you’ll likely only be doing a few styles, it doesn’t warrant investing the time required to make use of the software features.

Tech Pack Software Comparisons: Which Is The Best?

Choosing the right software package is important since there are several hands involved. First, let’s get one of the most common questions I hear out of the way…

Should You Use Adobe Illustrator for Tech Packs?

Do NOT use Adobe Illustrator for tech packs!

Illustrator is a great tool for drawing fashion flats and designing. As a fashion designer, you’ll use it to create fashion flats and technical sketches for your tech packs. But you should not be creating tech packs themselves in Adobe Illustrator.

A professional tech pack includes a lot of text, specifications, and math (for things like graded specs). Illustrator is not meant for math and text. Illustrator also has a steep learning curve, and not everyone has the software. That means it’s hard for other team members or clients to edit or update it.

So, let’s look at different software options and their features. Here are some of the top software choices in the fashion industry with a comparison of their features and prices.

	TechPacker	Backbone	Supply Compass	Centric Software
Description	A powerful tool for fashion brands and manufacturers to collaborate through every step in product development.	A product development platform that empowers brands to make products smarter, faster, and at scale.	Software that does all the hard work, so you can focus on the big ideas, sharpen accuracy and drop innovative collections—quicker and more sustainably.	Everyone from sales to designers to product teams, planners, suppliers and buyers are always on the same page, regardless of location, time zone, language or role.
Features	Transfer data from Excel. Add callouts to technical sketches. Develop comprehensive tech packs including Measurement Specs, Grading Sheets, Bill of Materials, Costing Sheets, Fit Sheets, etc.Build reusable component libraries. Communicate in real time. Track product development stages and get status updates.	Dynamic reusable libraries. Manage colorways, including custom palettes and Pantone. Add callouts and dynamically populate your Bill of Materials (BOM) and record Points of Measure (POMs). Build flexible tech packs including images and files. Use reporting tools for line sheets.	Create component libraries. Develop digital tech packs and share with manufacturers. Collaborate directly with manufacturers throughout sample-making. Manage orders and range plans. Create and design mood boards. Track product development stages and set milestones. Manage purchase orders.	Merchandise and range planning. Technical documentation for multiple styles. Easy to manage materials library. Supply chain visibility. Calendars to manage deadlines. Set quality levels and evaluation points for suppliers.
Pricing	Starts at $45/month/user	Starts at $99/month/user	Starts at $350/month/user	Contact for pricing
Best for	Brands on a budget who don’t need fancy features	Brands that are scaling with growing needs	Brands who need multi-channel communication	Brands with large range plans

Free Tech Pack Software: Why Spreadsheets Are Your Best Bet

Starting out in fashion or on a tight budget? Good news! Free spreadsheet software (like Google Sheets or Numbers) or paid software you may already have (like Microsoft Excel) is a great way to create comprehensive and professional tech packs.

They’re great if you’re working as a freelancer with a lot of different brands (that may only be doing a couple styles), or if you’re starting your own clothing line and don’t want to invest in or learn new software.

Advantages of Spreadsheets for Tech Packs

Ease of use: Even non-tech-savvy designers can use spreadsheets (and there are templates that can make it even easier!).
Versatility: Customize sheets to include technical drawings, spec sheets, design details, and product information.
Collaboration: Cloud-based tools allow multiple users to edit documents simultaneously, and everyone has access to the tools.
Data management: Spreadsheets make it simple to organize data efficiently and update information throughout the design process.

Limitations of Spreadsheet Tools for Tech Packs

While spreadsheets are great, they lack advanced features and automation options some software may provide. While it’s easy to integrate flat sketches or technical drawings created in Adobe Illustrator into spreadsheets, there are no fancy built-in tools like you’ll find in most of the software.

How Do You Create a Tech Pack in Excel (or other spreadsheet software)?

The best option is to start with a template. From there, you can fill in the details for your designs. You can follow my free step-by-step guide here.

Overall, tech pack software can be an essential tool for anyone working in the fashion industry. It allows you to create comprehensive and professional tech packs that include all necessary technical drawings and specifications, streamlining the product development process and ensuring quality control.

While there can be challenges with using tech pack software, such as a learning curve or potential compatibility issues with multiple manufacturers, the benefits can outweigh many drawbacks.