How much does an apparel tech pack cost in Vietnam?

Newcomers to the garment industry underestimate the value of a tech pack. Even the most basic t-shirt has around 27 decision points starting with the name of your brand to your quality control checklist. Design, fit, seaming and accessorizing a garment requires training that is not easily gained by watching videos on the Internet. There is a reason why professional tech packers charge 500 to 2,000 U.S. dollars to make a tech pack. It requires expert knowledge and 5 to 20 hours to complete.

I have been scouting tech pack freelancers since I started working as a fashion start-up consultant 10 years ago. I am surprised how many of them don’t list their fees. The reason is that the amount of work varies depending on the style of garment and how well you know what you want. One reason I like Belinda at Techpacks.co is that she lists her tech packing fees clearly.

Patternworks also has a clear price listing that includes services like pattern making, digitization, grading and prototyping. Note their price for Spec Sheets which is another way to say tech packs. The price is: “call for quote.”

I asked Diep who is a tech pack freelancer based in Vietnam and she explained that the price depends on the purpose of the tech pack. "Some of my customers, they just want to have their proto-sample made in their local tailor to get a physical sample in hand. The tailors are skilled enough to work off a simple tech pack and they don't need details like care label instructions, packing instructions, grading, sewing construction or testing requirements. to review and consider again in a line meeting. These prototype tech packs for tailors can be pretty simple and cost is less than $US 500."

Diep went on to say, "on the other hand, a proper production tech pack that will be used through all stages of production from quoting the price based on size medium to final quality control checks, the value is more than $US500 depending on the complexity of the garment. I have made full production tech packs for a fashion top for $US500 and a ski jacket for $1,500."

I am not a professional tech packer but I wanted to save money and create a tech pack for my branded sublimated t-shirt.

I started building my own tech pack based on excel tech packs I found online. I started filling in the cells and quickly realized that I did not know what to put into the excel form. I needed more and more time to study. 20 hours later I felt like I had more questions than answers. Given that my hourly rate is 50 U.S. dollars per hour my opportunity costs had reached 2,000 U.S. dollars and didn’t have a complete tech pack yet. Don’t let that happen to you. Hire a professional to guide you and get the job done ASAP. Or, budget to spend at least 50 hours of your time to DIY. Don’t underestimate the value of a tech pack and dedicate enough time and money to do it well.