What to Send a Clothing Manufacturer Before a Quote

Harman Chawla · 2026-09-21 · 6 min read

Send a clothing manufacturer four things: a short brief, the current tech pack, a quantity plan and a clear request for a quote or a sample. Adstronaut produces the pack from your garment photos; the brief and the questions take ten minutes with the template below. Here is the whole handoff for one navy utility overshirt, so you can see what a factory actually receives.

An example sample-request email beside three pages of the real overshirt tech pack: reference images, sample measurements and the bill of materials

The same overshirt as the tech-pack walkthrough: a 14-page export, revision v0, dated 4 Sept 2026. The brief is an example filled in with that pack's real style number and contents; the quantity is illustrative. Click any image to open it full size.

Download the factory brief and email template · Open the overshirt's complete PDF

Create the tech pack for your own garment →

In this guide

What belongs in the first handoff

Item What to include Where it lives for the overshirt
Product identity Style name and number, garment type, one-line description, revision and date Every page header: STY_3DFOEF_260904_0PX9, v0, 2026-09-04
Design references Front and back photos, plus any detail shots you have the right to use Page 1 of the pack
Specifications Flats with points of measure, the graded size chart with tolerances Pages 2 to 4
Materials Composition, weight, colour and supplier references when known; the bill of materials with quantities per unit Pages 5 to 8
Construction Sewing callouts, construction guide and the order of operations Pages 9, 12 and 13
Quantity plan Total units and the split by style, colour and size, marked provisional if it is The brief, not the pack
Sample request Sample type, base size, what you want to assess, what you need back The brief
Commercial context Target cost if you have one, delivery destination, timing The brief
Open questions What you have not decided, acceptable alternatives, approvals still pending The brief

Two things the factory should never have to assume: that a reference photo means "copy every feature of that brand", and that a first development sample is approved for bulk. Say what you want assessed.

The pack answers most of the factory's questions

Once the pack is attached, the brief only has to carry what the pack cannot know: quantities, timing, money and your open decisions. Here is the overshirt's export page by page, grouped by the question each page answers.

All fourteen pages of the overshirt tech pack laid out and labelled: design references, specifications, materials, construction and colour, revisions

Reference images, sample measurements, the graded size chart, materials with swatches, the numbered materials callout, the bill of materials, sewing details, colorways and Pantone, detailed views, the construction guide, sewing instructions and the fit log. All generated from two photos of the overshirt and edited in the Tech Pack Generator.

A factory quoting from this pack can count materials, read the size run and see the finishes without a call. The questions that come back are the useful ones: minimums, sample cost, lead time and any substitution they would propose.

A sample request you can adapt

Replace the brackets with your own facts. Do not keep example quantities or specifications because they appear in a template.

Subject: Sample and quotation request — [style number] — revision [number, date]

Hello [name],

We are developing [product description] and would like to confirm whether it fits your capabilities. Attached is revision [number, date] of the tech pack, plus [reference files].

Our provisional order is [quantity], split across [styles, colours and sizes]. The requested sample is [type and base size]. We want to assess [fit, fabric, construction or another purpose].

Please confirm the minimum order by style and colour, the sample cost and what it includes, estimated sample timing, and any information you need for a production quote. Please list exclusions and any proposed material substitutions separately.

These items remain open: [questions]. Please confirm receipt of this document revision before starting sample work.

Thank you, [name, brand, contact]

The downloadable text file contains this email, a fill-in brief and a revision log. Filled in for the overshirt, it reads as in the image at the top of this page: 14-page pack attached, one colorway, a size-M proto to check the chest, sleeve and zip installation, and two open decisions named outright.

Make quotes comparable

Send the same revision and the same quantity assumptions to each factory. Then record more than the unit price:

Record for every quote Why
Material specification quoted A lower price often means a different fabric
Included services Development, grading, packaging and labels are sometimes extra
Sample charge and what it covers Some factories credit it against the order, some do not
Minimum: per style, per colour, per fabric order or across the purchase The same 300 units can mean very different fabric and production runs
Currency, delivery basis and destination FOB and delivered prices are not comparable
Date and context A minimum or lead time is a fact about one quote, not a permanent capability

Ask for your specification and any alternative as separate lines: "priced as requested" and "lower-cost fabric option" should never collapse into one number. A proposed alternative needs its own review for appearance, hand feel, performance and availability.

Send one revision, and keep it dated

Every page of the export carries the style number, the revision and the date. That header is what makes a quote or a sample traceable.

The header and fit log of the overshirt pack's last page, enlarged, with four rules for handling revisions

For each change, record the location, the previous instruction, the new instruction, the reason, the date and who approved it. Update the drawing, the material row and the measurement table together, then send one current revision and summarise what changed.

For a sample correction, keep the observation and the decision apart. "Chest measures 1 cm below target" is an observation. "Change the target by 1 cm" is a design decision. Confirm which one you mean before asking for another sample, and keep sample photos and fit comments with the revision they describe.

What if your specifications are incomplete?

Start the capabilities conversation anyway, with the gaps stated. Say what you know, what you want the factory to propose and what you will confirm later, and ask for a provisional estimate rather than a production price.

If the missing piece is the pack itself, generate it from your photos: flats with points of measure, graded sizes, materials, BOM and construction in one workspace, editable before you export. Signup includes a watermarked preview so you can see your own garment's result first. Then follow the seven-step walkthrough to review it.

Turn your garment photos into a factory-ready pack →

If you are still choosing the supplier, read how to find a clothing manufacturer. A clear brief helps that conversation; it does not establish that any particular supplier is the right one.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a tech pack before contacting a manufacturer?

You can ask about capabilities first. For a style-specific quote or sample request, supply the specifications you have and name what is still open. A photo alone leaves the measurements, materials and finishes undefined, and the quote will reflect that.

Should I send a PDF or an editable file?

Ask the factory. A PDF fixes a revision; an editable spreadsheet or artwork file suits some workflows. Adstronaut exports both from the same pack on Pro and above. Whatever you send, keep the PDF and the source files at the same approved values.

What should I do when a factory suggests a substitution?

Record the exact proposed material or construction change, its reason and its effect on cost and timing. Review the relevant sample or specification before accepting it, and update the pack only to reflect the decision actually made.

Is a line sheet the same as a manufacturer brief?

No. A line sheet presents products and ordering information to wholesale buyers. A manufacturer brief explains the development or production job. See the line-sheet guide for that separate document.

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