6 Best Apparel Tech Pack Software
Are you in the market for the best apparel tech pack software for your fashion business? This post is definitely for you!
Tech packs are a must-have for every apparel/fashion business looking to produce and sell custom-made products.
They allow you to communicate your design ideas clearly to garment manufacturers, thus lessening the chances of production errors and reruns.
Additionally, you will find it useful when looking to streamline your product lifecycle management (PLM) processes.
However, creating these tech packs from scratch can be time-consuming. And can be somewhat daunting, especially if you are new to the concept.
This is why using professional tech pack software instead of creating them yourself is a smart move.
In this post, we will be reviewing some of the best fashion tech pack software, highlighting their features and costs.
So stick around!
What is a Tech Pack?
Also known as specification sheets, tech packs are garment design blueprints intended to communicate your design ideas and concepts to a manufacturer. Essentially, they contain the design details needed to bring your product concept to live.
Tech pack includes:
- Technical sketches of your designs (also known as fashion flats or flat sketches)
- Bill of Materials
- Measurement specification
- Cost of materials
Design faster and collaborate easier with manufacturers using Uphance PLM
Why Do You Need a Tech Pack?
Creating a tech pack for your business has numerous benefits. They are as follows:
- It enables you to communicate your ideas to your manufacturer clearly
- Tech pack templates can help streamline your production processes
- Helps with accurate costing
- Minimizes production errors and reworks
Spreadsheet + Adobe Illustrator or a Tech Pack Software?
When it comes to creating tech packs, there are two major routes you could take: the good old-fashioned way or using spreadsheets together with Adobe Illustrator, or you could use a tech pack software.
The question then is, when should you use which? The long and short answer is, it depends.
When to Use Spreadsheets + Adobe Illustrator
Using spreadsheets together with Illustrator is best suited for freelance fashion designers and small businesses on a limited budget.
While the former allows you to capture key details about your tech pack, such as BOM, colourways, size specifications, etc., the latter is used for creating detailed flat sketches.
When to Use a Tech Pack Software
If you are working on a large design project with several collaborators and a series of back-and-forths, using spreadsheets won’t just cut it. You are better off using a tech pack software.
Besides creating room for seamless collaboration, tech pack software solutions also make it easy to generate BOMs, size specifications, grade rules, etc.
Interestingly, most of these solutions are packed with AI tools and integrate with Adobe Illustrator, further making your life easy.
6 Best Fashion Tech Pack Software
If you are considering purchasing a tech pack software but haven’t decided which to go for, here 6 battle-tested software guaranteed to give you the biggest bang for your buck!
1. Uphance
Tech Pack Software | Features | Pricing |
|---|---|---|
Uphance | Sketch annotation ✅ Bill of materials generation ✅Tech Pack Emailing ✅Product development tracking ✅ Grade rules ✅ Supports real-time collaboration. | $100/user |
Tech Packer | Lots of templates ✅ PDF or Excel file exports ✅ Automated grading ✅Version control ✅Supports real-time collaboration | Starts at $35/month |
Backbone | Adobe Illustrator plugin ✅ Resuable components ✅ Custom palettes ✅Image annotator | Custom quote |
Centric Software | Robust PLM ✅ Data tracking ✅ Team collaboration ✅Quality control | Custom quote |
WFX PLM | Measurement and spec sheet ✅ Team collaboration ✅ Bill of material generation | Custom quote |
Tech Pack Wizard | Integration with Adobe Illustrator ✅ Pre-designed templates ✅ Preloaded graphic styles |
Uphance is a full-fledged apparel inventory management software solution with a robust tech pack creation capability. Creating detailed tech packs with Uphance is a straightforward affair, thanks to the easy learning curve.
Features
- One-click upload for your design sketches
- Detailed sizing specification to ensure accurate finishing
- Enables you to add notes to tech packs for better clarity
- Supports Bill of Materials
- Lets you download your tech pack as PDF or send it directly to a prospect via email
- Makes tracking your products across their development stages (sampling, prototyping, pre-production, and bulk production) easy.
Pricing
Around $100 per user
2. Tech Packer
Tech Packer is undoubtedly one of the most popular tech pack software on the market, and for a good reason: it’s packed with lots of tools and features. On top of that, Tech Packer has an easy learning curve, making it an ideal choice for beginners.
One of the perks of using Tech Packer is that it makes design collaboration a breeze.
Features
- Lots of reusable templates
- Supports PDF and Excel exports for tech packs
- Supports automated grading
- Makes real-time collaboration among a design team a seamless experience
- Supports version control
Pricing
- Tech Pack Builder – $35/month
- PLM Professional – $95/month
- PLM Premium – $125/month
3. Backbone
Featuring an Adobe Illustrator plugin and several reusable components, Backbone is one sure garment tech pack software you can always count on. With Backbone, you can easily create a t-shirt tech pack, a dress, and a jacket tech pack, to name a few.
And your options aren’t only limited to clothing tech packs: you can also create shoe, bag, and clothing accessories tech packs with it.
Features
- Adobe Illustrator Plugin
- Several reusable product components
- Custom palettes and swatches libraries
- Image annotator
Pricing
You’d have to contact sales to get a quote.
4. Centric Software
Centric Software is another great software you can count on to create magnificent tech packs that communicate your ideas clearly and lead to fruitful outcomes.
On top of that, creating tech packs with Centric Software enables you to push products faster to the market, leading to more sales for your business.
Moreover, it supports effortless team collaboration and centralized data collection.
Features
- Robust PLM module
- Reliable data tracking
- Hassle-free communication and collaboration with your design team
- Powerful quality control
Pricing
You’d have to request a custom quote from the sales team
5. WFX PLM
This list of best apparel tech pack software will definitely never be complete without WFX.
One of the beauties of managing your product development process with WFX is that it enables you to communicate with your manufacturer effectively and without hitches in real time. And you know, effective communication lessens production errors.
In addition, using WFX ensure you create accurate technical drawings of your product designs. Plus, it makes it easy to share production and care instructions with relevant stakeholders seamlessly.
Features
- Measurement and spec sheet
- Supports team collaboration
- Makes it easy to create a bill of material
Pricing
Custom quote
6. Tech Pack Wizard
Do you want to automate your tech pack creation process to free up time to focus on other core aspects of your business? Tech Pack Wizard is where to look.
With this tech pack software, you can automate product sketch updates, page formatting, graded specs, and more to get the finished product.
Features
- Seamless integration with Adobe Illustrator
- Lots of pre-designed templates
- Preloaded graphic styles
Pricing
Custom quote
Conclusion
Using the right apparel tech pack software can make your life easy. Plus, it enables you to create tech packs faster, enabling you to push products faster, leading to more sales. It benefits both designers and manufacturers to get things done within the time.
Thankfully, we’ve reviewed the best 6 best apparel tech pack software you can count on!
Ready to take Uphance for a spin? Sign up for a free trial right away.
FAQs
Look for features like:
Digital sketching tools or integrations with Adobe Illustrator
Measurement and spec sheet templates
Fabric and trims libraries
BOM (Bill of Materials) management
Version control
Collaboration tools for designers and manufacturers
Cloud-based access and export options (e.g., PDF, Excel)
Tech pack software is essential for:
Fashion designers and brands
Product developers
Technical designers
Apparel manufacturers
Fashion startups aiming for efficient production workflows
While possible, spreadsheets lack advanced features such as version control, built-in libraries, and communication tools. Dedicated tech pack software provides a more scalable, efficient solution for growing fashion businesses.
