What Is a Tech Pack for Custom Sportswear? A Buyer’s Guide for Team Uniforms

Short answer: a tech pack is the written and visual brief that tells a factory exactly how to make your custom sportswear. Artwork, fabric, size chart, decoration method, labels and packing notes sit in one place so every jersey, hoodie or rash guard matches what you approved.

This guide is for US and EU sportswear brands, team dealers and club buyers who work with a China OEM/ODM factory. It explains what belongs in a tech pack, how factories use it after Inquiry, and how to avoid the mistakes that delay approvals. Use it together with our quality control checklist and factory sourcing guide.

What is a tech pack in custom sportswear manufacturing?

Short answer: it is the single reference that turns your design idea into factory-ready instructions for fabric, cut, print, sewing, labels and packing.

For stock apparel, a factory can follow a standard style. Custom team wear is different: every logo, number, colour and size run is unique to your order. A clear tech pack reduces back-and-forth email, keeps reorders consistent and gives both sides the same checkpoint for approvals. At Glory Ground Apparel, we treat the tech pack as the working document for design review, production planning and final inspection.

If you are new to OEM/ODM, start with an overview of how an order moves through our Shenzhen factory in Inside the factory: from design to shipping.

What files and specs should a buyer include?

Short answer: artwork files, colour references, fabric choice, size chart, decoration notes, label and packing instructions, plus a clear order list of styles, colours and sizes.

A practical first tech pack usually covers:

• Flat sketches or mock-ups of front, back and key details (collar, sleeves, side panels).
• Vector or high-resolution artwork for logos, crests, sponsor marks and number fonts.
• Pantone (or equivalent) colour codes for every brand colour, not only screen RGB or HEX.
• Fabric type and weight (for example polyester jersey knit for hockey, stretch polyester for rash guards).
• Decoration method per area: sublimation, tackle twill, embroidery or a mix.
• Size chart with measuring points and graded measurements for adult and youth if needed.
• Placement notes for names, numbers, patches and sleeve marks, with distances from seams or centre lines.
• Label, hangtag and packing preferences for private label or team-only orders.
• One roster or order sheet listing style, colourway, size and player name/number where relevant.

You do not need every line perfect on day one. Send what you have with your Inquiry; our team will flag gaps before production planning starts.

Artwork formats and colour (Pantone) notes

Short answer: send vector logos where possible, keep print files high-resolution, and lock brand colours to Pantone (or a physical swatch) rather than a screen preview.

Useful format habits:

• Logos and crests: AI, EPS or SVG, or PDF with editable vectors. Avoid tiny JPG logos that pixelate when enlarged.
• Full-jersey sublimation art: layered PSD, AI or high-res PDF sized to the panel layout your factory provides.
• Fonts: outline text for production files, and note the font name if player names will be set later from a roster.
• Colour: list each brand colour with a Pantone code for fabric dyeing and print matching. Screens vary; Pantone does not.
• File naming: one clear name per style and colourway so revisions do not overwrite older versions.

For a deeper look at how colour behaves on fabric, see dye sublimation explained. Colour approval still belongs on real fabric, not only in the tech pack PDF.

Size charts, graded measurements, and fit notes

Short answer: include finished garment measurements with clear measuring points, grade rules across sizes, and short fit notes for the sport.

A usable size section includes:

• Measuring points drawn or listed: chest (1/2), body length, sleeve length, and any sport-specific points (for example fight-short inseam or hockey jersey sleeve opening).
• A graded chart for each size you will order, not only a single medium sample size.
• Fit intent in one line: athletic/slim, regular team fit, or loose practice fit.
• Tolerance you expect on key measurements, so inspection has a shared rule.
• Separate adult and youth charts when both are in the same program.

Clubs and dealers often reuse one brand size chart across hockey, baseball, basketball, American football, soccer and MMA / rash guard lines. Tell the factory when a style should follow a different fit so grading is not copied blindly.

Decoration method notes (sublimation, tackle twill, embroidery)

Short answer: state the method for every logo, number and panel, because fabric choice and sewing sequence change with each method.

Common notes to spell out:

• Full-panel dye sublimation for all-over graphics and multi-colour crests.
• Tackle twill for raised numbers and letters on ice hockey and similar team jerseys.
• Embroidery for small crests, sleeve marks or higher-end brand logos on denser fabrics.
• Mixed builds (for example sublimated body with embroidered crest) called out panel by panel.
• Placement diagrams with centre-front, left chest or sleeve positions measured from fixed points.

Compare methods in our sublimation vs tackle twill vs embroidery decoration guide. In production, our garments are sewn on JUKI industrial sewing machines; decoration and sewing plans both follow the same tech pack so sequence and stress points stay consistent.

Labels, hangtags, and packaging for private label

Short answer: decide early whether pieces carry your brand woven labels and hangtags, team-only care/size labels, or a simple factory packing format.

Private-label buyers typically specify:

• Main woven neck or side label under the buyer brand (wordmark, size, care icons as required by your market).
• Care and content labels that match fabric and destination regulations.
• Hangtags under the buyer brand for retail or dealer channels; team-only programs often skip retail hangtags.
• Folding, polybag and carton marking rules (style, size, colour, quantity per carton).
• Any barcode, SKU or dealer code that must appear on bag or carton stickers.

Prefer your own brand identity on woven labels and hangtags for private label. If a factory logo hangtag is ever discussed, keep it optional and secondary to your brand. Clear label artwork in the tech pack avoids last-minute reprints.

How factories use the tech pack after Inquiry

Short answer: sales and design review completeness, confirm fabric and decoration feasibility, then lock the pack as the reference for sample approval, bulk cutting and final QC.

A typical flow after you submit an Inquiry:

1. Completeness check: missing Pantones, size grades or placement notes are listed back to you.
2. Feasibility review: fabric weight, stretch and decoration method are checked against the sport and design.
3. Shared reference: once you approve the pack (and any pre-production sample tied to it), cutting markers, print files and sewing instructions follow that version.
4. Change control: later edits are dated so the floor does not mix old and new artwork.
5. Inspection link: final QC measures and visual checks against the same pack and approved reference. See our QC buyer checklist.

Glory Ground Apparel is a custom sportswear OEM/ODM factory in Shenzhen with 10+ years of experience and capacity of about 50,000 pieces per month. Printing, cutting and sewing run in-house, so one tech pack feeds every station on the same floor. Fabric we use can be supported with OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 documentation (certificate 23.HCN.91580, valid to 08/2027); the certificate is held by our fabric supplier.

Common tech-pack mistakes that delay approvals

Short answer: incomplete colour data, low-resolution logos, missing size grades and unclear decoration notes cause most revision loops.

Watch for these:

• RGB or HEX only, with no Pantone or swatch for brand colours.
• Logos flattened into small JPG or PNG files that break when scaled for a full jersey.
• One size listed with no graded chart for the full run.
• Decoration method not stated per logo or number.
• Roster names and numbers scattered across emails instead of one order sheet.
• Label artwork missing until packing day.
• Conflicting mock-ups (two PDFs with different sleeve logos and no final mark).

A short internal review before you hit send saves days of clarification. Pair this list with the questions in our how to vet a sportswear factory guide when you compare suppliers.

Checklist before you send the Inquiry

Short answer: confirm artwork, colours, fabric, sizes, decoration, labels, packing and order list are attached or clearly noted, then submit through Contact.

Use this pre-send list:

• ☐ Front/back mock-ups or flats for each style and colourway
• ☐ Vector or high-res artwork for every logo and crest
• ☐ Pantone (or swatch) for each brand colour
• ☐ Fabric type and target weight noted
• ☐ Decoration method per logo, number and panel
• ☐ Size chart with measuring points and grades
• ☐ Placement notes with distances from centre or seams
• ☐ Label and hangtag preference (buyer brand / team-only)
• ☐ Packing and carton marking notes
• ☐ Order or roster sheet (style, size, name, number)
• ☐ Contact person and destination market for care-label rules

Browse our custom sportswear products for style references, then open an Inquiry on the Contact page. For process and policy questions that sit outside the tech pack, see our FAQ and About us.

Ready to brief your next team or private-label program? Send your tech pack or design files through Inquiry and our team will review them with you.