How to Create a Tech Pack - A Step-by-Step Guide for Fashion Designers

Adstronaut Team · 2025-12-11 · 10 min read

If you ask a fashion designer what their favorite part of the job is, "making tech packs" is rarely the answer. It is the administrative tax you pay to bring your designs to life.

Traditionally, creating a tech pack is a grueling process. It involves:

  1. Spending hours in Adobe Illustrator drawing technical flats.
  2. Building complex tables in Excel for measurements and grading.
  3. Manually typing out every button, zipper, and thread type.
  4. Copy-pasting images into a PDF.

It's slow, prone to copy-paste errors, and requires expensive software.

But in 2025, the workflow has changed. With Adstronaut AI, the process shifts from drawing from scratch to refining AI suggestions. You provide the visual inspiration; the AI provides the technical structure.

In this guide, we will walk you through the 7-step process of creating a factory-grade tech pack using AI—taking you from a simple photo to a manufacturing-ready document in under 15 minutes. If you need background on what tech packs are and why they matter, start with our complete guide to fashion tech packs.

Table of Contents

Step 1: The Input (One Photo is All You Need)

In the old workflow, you started with a blank canvas. In the AI workflow, you start with an image.

You don't need a CAD drawing. You need a clear photo of your garment. This could be:

  • A photo of a physical sample you sewed.
  • A photo of a competitor's product you want to reference (for fit/construction).
  • A realistic AI-generated design (from our AI Designer tool).

Action: Drag and drop your front view image into the Tech Pack Generator. Adding a back view is optional but recommended for more complex items like jackets or jeans.

Adstronaut Tech Pack upload interface Simply drag and drop your product photo to begin.

Step 2: AI Analysis & Structure Generation

Once you click generate, the "Black Box" magic happens. But what is actually going on?

Adstronaut AI runs a parallel processing pipeline using multiple models. It doesn't just "look" at the picture; it deconstructs it.

  • Vision Models convert the photo into a black-and-white Technical Flat Sketch.
  • Component Detection identifies visible parts (sleeves, pockets, zippers).
  • Category Logic determines that a "Hoodie" needs a kangaroo pocket and drawstrings, while a "T-Shirt" does not.

In about 60 seconds, the AI builds the entire 12-Tab Project Structure for you. It creates the containers for your data, pre-fills the obvious parts, and prepares the tables for your specific input.

For more on what makes these outputs factory-grade, see our deep-dive into AI quality standards.

Step 3: Interactive Sketch Annotation

This is where you take control. A factory needs to know exactly where to measure the garment to ensure the fit is correct.

Traditionally, you would have to draw arrows in Illustrator. With Adstronaut AI, you use the Sample Measurements tab.

The AI provides the clean flat sketch. You simply:

  1. Click and drag to draw a measurement line (e.g., "Chest Width").
  2. Label the line (e.g., "A").
  3. Input the measurement value for your sample size (e.g., "22 inches").

The tool acts as a digital ruler, allowing you to annotate the sketch directly in the browser.

Sample measurements annotation tool Click and drag to add precise measurement lines directly on the sketch.

Step 4: Building the Bill of Materials (BOM)

The Bill of Materials (BOM) is your shopping list. If it's not on the BOM, it won't be on the garment.

The AI jumpstarts this process by detecting visible materials. If you upload a denim jacket, the AI will likely pre-populate rows for "Denim Fabric," "Buttons," and "Thread."

Your job is to refine the specifics:

  • Material Images: The AI generates visual swatches for each item, so the factory knows what texture to look for.
  • Supplier Fields: The structure includes columns for "Supplier," "Color Code," and "Placement."
  • Quantity: You input exactly how much is needed (e.g., "5 Buttons").

Instead of building a table from scratch, you are simply filling in the blanks of a pre-formatted, professional BOM.

Bill of Materials table interface Pre-formatted BOM with AI-generated material swatches.

Step 5: Automated Size Grading

Calculating how measurements change from Small to Medium to Large ("grading") is math-heavy and prone to error.

In the Size Table tab, Adstronaut AI automates the structure.

  1. You enter your Base Size measurements (e.g., Medium).
  2. You enter your Grade Rule (e.g., Chest grows by 1 inch per size).
  3. The system automatically calculates the values for XS, S, L, and XL.

This feature alone saves 30+ minutes of calculator work per tech pack and ensures your sizing logic is consistent across the board.

Automated size grading visualization Grade rules automatically calculate sizes across your entire range.

Step 6: Construction & Callouts

How do you tell the factory to use a specific stitch on the hem? Or to reinforce a pocket corner?

Use the Garment Callouts and Construction Guide tabs.

  • Callouts: Drag a numbered marker onto the sketch to point at a specific detail (e.g., "Double needle stitch here").
  • Construction Guide: Use the text fields to provide sewing instructions. The AI will often suggest standard assembly methods based on the garment category, which you can then edit or approve.

This section is vital for quality control. It is your opportunity to define the quality standards (stitch-per-inch, seam allowance) that separate luxury goods from fast fashion.

This human-in-the-loop approach ensures you maintain complete creative control while the AI handles the heavy lifting.

Step 7: Export & Share

Once you have reviewed the tabs and filled in your specific data, you are ready to send it to the factory.

You have two options:

  1. Shareable Web Link: Generate a public URL. This is modern and fast—your manufacturer can view the tech pack directly in their browser without downloading huge files.
  2. PDF Export: For traditional factories, generate a standard, multi-page PDF. The system automatically compiles all your tabs, sketches, and tables into a clean, landscape-format document with your logo and header on every page.

Finished tech pack PDF mockup Export a professional, multi-page PDF ready for any factory.

Why This Workflow Wins

We aren't just changing the software; we are changing the mindset.

  • Old Way (Illustrator/Excel): You are a drafter and a data entry clerk. You spend 90% of your time on formatting and 10% on technical decisions.
  • New Way (Adstronaut AI): You are the Technical Director. The AI handles the drawing, formatting, and table creation. You spend 100% of your time making decisions about fit, fabric, and finish.

By using AI to handle the structure, you eliminate the barrier to entry. You don't need to learn CAD. You don't need to be an Excel wizard. You just need a photo and a vision for how it should fit.

Ready to see this in action for specific garments? Check out our detailed guides for T-shirt tech packs, hoodie tech packs, and dress tech packs. Or browse real tech pack examples across 10 garment categories.

Calculate how much time and money you'll save with our ROI calculator, and learn about the hidden costs of manual tech packs you're avoiding.


Upload a photo and start your tech pack for free!