A simple T-shirt tech pack for manufacturing must define the product, construction, body fabric, neck rib, measurements, artwork, labels and approval state clearly enough for the factory to quote and make one intentional sample. A plain tee has fewer components than a jacket, but the neckline, fit and wash response leave plenty of room for expensive assumptions.
For the universal document structure, use Cynida's menswear tech pack checklist. This guide covers the narrower T-shirt handoff.
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Start With the T-Shirt the Factory Is Actually Making
Give the style a unique number, document version and date. Then describe the intended garment rather than writing only “basic crew-neck tee.” At minimum, close these decisions:
| Field | What to state |
|---|---|
| Product and fit | Short-sleeve cut-and-sew knit T-shirt; fitted, regular, relaxed or oversized direction |
| Base size and range | The size used for the first fit sample and the intended sales range |
| Neckline | Crew, scoop, V-neck or another named shape; finished neckband appearance |
| Body and sleeve | Body length direction, shoulder position, sleeve length and opening direction |
| Colorways | Body, rib, thread and artwork color relationships |
| Care state | Whether fit and measurements are approved before care, after the intended wash, or both |
| Reference priority | What to copy from a reference garment and what must change |
A reference T-shirt is evidence, not a complete instruction. Mark whether it controls silhouette, hand feel, neckline, construction or only visual direction. If two references disagree, the tech pack must name the winner.
Draw the Neckline, Sleeve and Hem Construction
Include front and back flats, then add an enlarged neckline view. Use numbered callouts for details that a silhouette cannot show: shoulder and side seams, neckband join position, back-neck tape, neckline topstitching, sleeve hem, bottom hem, reinforcement and any side vents.
Name the visible result and the construction where it matters. For example, “double-needle sleeve and bottom hem” is more useful than “standard finish.” Record finished hem depth and visible stitch spacing. If the exact stitch or machine method is open, state the appearance and performance required, label it Factory proposal required, and approve the proposal before sampling.
Trace each callout into another control. Neck tape belongs in the BOM; neckband height belongs in the measurement diagram; a visible coverstitch belongs in the sample checklist. A detail shown only once is unusually good at disappearing.
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Specify the Body Fabric and Neck Rib Separately
Do not reduce both materials to “100% cotton.” Give the body jersey its own BOM line with composition, knit structure, target GSM, color reference, finish, hand-feel direction, stretch information and intended care test. Identify an approved swatch or mark the material as a factory proposal.
Give the neck rib a separate line. Record composition, rib construction, finished width, color, stretch and recovery direction. The band must recover cleanly without standing away from the neck or pulling the body into ripples.
Avoid copying a universal neck-rib length ratio from a template. The workable length depends on the rib, body fabric, neckline shape, seam allowance and desired appearance. Ask the factory to propose the pattern relationship, then approve the neckline on the physical sample and after the intended care method. GSM alone does not define hand feel, opacity or recovery.
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Define the Base-Size POMs and Measuring Method
Body measurements are not finished-garment measurements. Build the base-size specification from the intended fit, and attach a numbered diagram so the buyer, pattern maker and quality team measure the same lines.
| T-shirt POM | Method the pack should define |
|---|---|
| Half chest | Garment flat; exact distance below the armhole stated on the diagram |
| Body length | High-point shoulder to finished hem, with the path shown |
| Across shoulder | Seam to seam across the back |
| Sleeve length | Shoulder seam to finished sleeve edge |
| Sleeve and bottom openings | Measured flat at the finished edge |
| Neck width and front drop | Stable seam points shown on the neckline diagram |
| Finished neckband height | Visible height after attachment |
For every POM, state unit, target, tolerance and garment condition: relaxed or stretched, fastened if relevant, and before or after care. Do not borrow tolerances from an unrelated template. Confirm them against product risk, fabric behavior and the factory's measuring method. Approve the base-size fit before treating the graded range as finished. The annotated tech pack example shows how POM definitions connect to the other pages.
Place Artwork, Labels and Packaging Without Guesswork
For every print, embroidery or transfer, provide the artwork file and version, application method, finished dimensions, color references and a placement diagram measured from stable garment points such as high-point shoulder and center front. State whether artwork remains one size or changes across the size range. Approve color, scale, placement and hand feel on the correct fabric—not on an email preview.
List main, size and care labels separately with artwork version, dimensions, fold type and attachment position. Provide the target market and approved label content before bulk. Packing instructions should resolve folding, individual bag or alternative, barcode and sticker position, inserts, size marking and carton requirements where applicable.
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Close the First-Sample Gate Before Development Starts
Before sampling, confirm the current flats, base-size POMs, fabric and rib direction, neckline construction, sample color and any artwork needed to judge the product. Open sourcing details can remain proposals only when their owner, approval method and deadline are visible.
At Cynida, a typical first sample takes 7–10 days after the product details are confirmed. That is not a countdown from the first enquiry: unresolved fabric, fit or construction decisions are still development work.
The need for cross-field control is not theoretical. In Cynida's Oxford shirt sample case, two collar-point buttons visible on the reference were omitted from the first sample because they had not become an unmistakable drawing callout, BOM line and feature check. The error was ours, and the corrective sample restored them. Audit T-shirt neck tape, topstitching and label placement the same way.
Photo by RDNE Stock project on Pexels.
Run a T-Shirt Tech Pack Preflight
Before sending the file, check that:
- The filename and every page show the same style, version and date.
- Front, back and neckline views agree with the written construction.
- Body fabric, neck rib, thread, tape and labels have separate BOM controls.
- The care state used for measurement and appearance approval is explicit.
- Every POM has a diagram, method, unit, target and tolerance.
- Artwork uses a current file, finished size, color reference and stable placement points.
- Every visible feature appears in the flat, relevant BOM or POM field, and sample checklist.
- Open items are labeled as proposals or TBC, with an owner and approval deadline.
- Sample comments will be consolidated into a dated master version.
- Quantity by design and color, target market and required timing accompany the pack.
After the sample is approved, carry the current BOM, measurements, workmanship, artwork and packing approvals into the bulk control file; Cynida's sample-to-bulk guide explains that handoff. If your T-shirt pack still mixes confirmed fields with open decisions, send it with your references through Cynida's sample-development review so the next conversation closes the gaps instead of creating another version of them.
