FAQ
Last updated: November 2026
Here are plain answers to 46 questions founders ask about tech packs, product specifications, samples, costs, strategy and launch.
Spec to Shelf, published by product development strategist Cydney Mar, answers each question in a few sentences, starting with the direct answer. Where a figure is quoted, its source is named. Where a detail depends on your product, the answer says how to confirm it.
A tech pack is the technical document a factory uses to make a product exactly as designed. For a garment it usually holds flat sketches, measurements and grading, materials and trims, construction details, colorways, and labeling and packaging instructions. It turns a design idea into instructions a sample room can follow without guessing, which is why a clear one reduces back-and-forth during sampling.
In the garment industry, a tech pack is the shared reference between a brand and its factory for one style. It specifies how the garment is measured, sewn, finished and labeled, so quotes, samples and bulk production all follow the same instructions. Factories use it to cost the style, cut patterns, and check finished pieces against the stated measurements and tolerances.
Tech packs for clothing are style-by-style instruction files that describe a garment completely enough for a factory to sample and produce it. Each style gets its own file, and each file is revised as samples come back. Cydney Mar describes a clear, professional tech pack as the difference between a sample that is right the first time and months of expensive back-and-forth.
A fashion tech pack usually looks like a multi-page spreadsheet or PDF. Typical pages include a cover sheet with style name and number, front and back flat sketches, a bill of materials, a measurement chart with grading across sizes, construction and stitching callouts, colorways, and label and packaging placement. Templates differ, but the goal is the same: no detail left for the factory to guess.
Start with clear front and back flat sketches, then add a bill of materials listing every fabric, trim and label. Build a measurement chart with points of measure and tolerances, add construction notes for seams and finishes, then colorways and packaging. Review it against a physical reference or first sample and revise. The step by step version is in the tech pack garment guide on this site.
Put a tech pack together in a fixed order: cover sheet, flat sketches, bill of materials, measurements and grading, construction details, colorways, labeling and packaging, then a revision log. Keeping the same order on every style makes files easier for factories to read and easier for you to update when sample comments come back.
ChatGPT and similar AI tools can help draft parts of a tech pack, such as a written description, a starter list of points of measure, or a checklist of sections. They cannot confirm fit, choose the right fabric for your factory, or check a physical sample. Treat any AI draft as a starting point that an experienced person reviews before it goes to a factory.
Clothing built around performance features is usually called technical apparel, performance wear or techwear. That is different from a tech pack, which is the technical document used to manufacture any garment, technical or not. A simple cotton T-shirt still needs a tech pack so the factory knows its measurements, fabric, stitching and labels.
A garment tech pack template is a useful structure, but it is not enough on its own. The template gives you the sections; the value comes from accurate measurements, tolerances, materials and construction details filled in for your exact style. Many founders start with a template and then have an experienced developer review it before sampling.
Product specifications are the written, measurable requirements that define what a product is and how it must be made. They cover dimensions, materials, components, performance, finishes, labeling and packaging. A good specification lets different suppliers quote the same product and lets you check every sample and production unit against the same standard.
Here is an example of product specifications for a scented candle: vessel material and dimensions, wax type and fill weight, wick type and count, fragrance load as a percentage, a burn time target, label size and placement, and carton pack count. Each line is measurable, so a supplier can quote it and you can check the sample against it.
A common way to group product specifications is into three types. Functional specifications describe what the product must do. Performance specifications set measurable targets such as durability or burn time. Design specifications describe exactly how it is built, including materials, dimensions and construction. Most consumer products need all three in one document.
The 5 C's of specification writing are often listed as clear, concise, correct, complete and consistent. In practice that means one meaning per line, no extra words, accurate numbers, nothing the supplier has to guess, and the same units and terms used throughout the document. Lists vary slightly by source, but these five are the most commonly cited.
Manufacturer specifications are the requirements a manufacturer works to: either their own standard specs for a stock product, or the specs a brand supplies for a custom product. For a new consumer product, the brand should own its specification, so the product stays the same if production ever moves to another factory.
Write a product specification sheet by naming the product and version, listing every material and component, stating dimensions with tolerances, adding performance targets, describing finishes, labeling and packaging, and keeping a dated revision log. Use one unit system throughout, and add drawings or photos wherever words could be misread.
Specifications usually look like a structured document or spreadsheet: a header with product name, version and date, then tables of materials, dimensions, tolerances and performance targets, plus drawings, photos and notes. For garments, the same idea takes the form of a tech pack, organized style by style.
The word specifications means a detailed, exact statement of requirements. In product development, specifications are the precise details a product must meet, such as size, material, weight and finish, written so that anyone making or checking the product reaches the same result.
A tech pack’s cost depends on the style’s complexity, the number of sizes graded, and who builds it, so there is no single price. Cydney Mar does not list prices on her website. A useful benchmark is the cost of not having one: Techpacker reports that correcting garment defaults adds $1,500 to $5,000 per style in rework costs per sampling round.
Consultant fees vary with scope, so ask for a defined scope before comparing quotes. Cydney Mar does not publish prices; you can discuss scope directly through her contact page. Compare any quote against what it replaces: wasted sample rounds, mis-ordered materials, and margins that do not work at your selling price.
Every extra sample round repeats pattern changes, materials, labor, shipping and weeks of waiting. Techpacker's 2026 guide puts the cost of correcting garment defaults at $1,500 to $5,000 per style in rework costs per sampling round. Clear specifications before the first sample are the main way founders cut the number of rounds.
A product can be profitable when its full landed cost, including materials, labor, duties, freight and packaging, leaves enough margin at the price your channel supports. Retail, TV and direct-to-consumer channels each take different shares, so calculate costs per channel before production. Cost and Margins is a dedicated step in Cydney Mar’s Concept-to-Reality Pathway.
A prototype tests whether an idea works and looks right; a sample is made by the intended supplier to show how the product will actually be produced. Founders often move from a proof-of-concept prototype to development samples, then to a pre-production sample that is approved before bulk production starts.
Expect more than one, and fewer when your specifications are complete. The number depends on product complexity, how clear the tech pack or spec sheet is, and how quickly comments go back to the factory. The Right Prototypes step in Cydney Mar’s pathway focuses on developing the right samples and cutting costly rework.
Choose a manufacturer on quality, communication and reliability, the three criteria Cydney Mar’s pathway uses for vetting suppliers. Ask for comparable work, check minimum order quantities and lead times, send the same specification to each candidate, and judge how clearly they ask questions back before you commit.
Production ready means the product can be made the same way, repeatedly, at a known cost. Specifications are final, the pre-production sample is approved, materials are confirmed, the supplier is vetted, costs and margins are calculated, and packaging and labeling are settled. The production readiness checklist on this site lists each item.
One six-step model is Cydney Mar’s Concept-to-Reality Pathway: Product Clarity, Right Prototypes, The Right Suppliers, Cost and Margins, Production-Ready, and Launch and Scale. Each step answers one question in order, from what you are making and who it is for, to how it reaches market through retail, direct-to-consumer or TV.
A product development strategy is the plan for turning a product idea into something people buy, in a sensible order. It defines the product and its buyer, sets cost and margin targets, plans samples and suppliers, and maps the path to launch. Order matters: Cydney Mar notes that most founders who fail take the right steps in the wrong order.
The four growth strategies most often taught come from the Ansoff matrix: market penetration (existing products, existing markets), product development (new products, existing markets), market development (existing products, new markets) and diversification (new products, new markets). For a founder with a new consumer product, product development is usually the starting point.
A product development strategy creates new products for customers you already serve or understand. A market development strategy takes an existing product to new customers, channels or regions. Moving a direct-to-consumer product into retail or TV shopping is market development; adding a new style for the same buyers is product development.
Here is a product development strategy example: a founder with a candle idea defines the buyer and price point first, sets a target margin, writes a specification, samples with two suppliers, costs the winning sample for each channel, then launches direct-to-consumer before pitching retail. Each step uses the output of the step before it.
A product launch checklist should cover approved final samples, locked specifications, confirmed production quantities and dates, landed costs and pricing per channel, packaging and labeling, product photography and copy, channel setup for retail, direct-to-consumer or TV, and a plan for reorders. The full product launch checklist on this site walks through each item.
A good strategy for product launch picks one primary channel first, matches stock to realistic demand, and tells a clear story about who the product is for. The Launch and Scale step in Cydney Mar’s pathway covers taking a product to market through retail, direct-to-consumer or TV, then growing from there.
The 7 P's of marketing are product, price, place, promotion, people, process and physical evidence. For a consumer product founder, the first three are set largely during product development: what the product is, what it costs to make and sell for, and which channel it reaches buyers through.
The 5 C's of marketing are usually listed as company, customers, competitors, collaborators and context. They are a quick way to test a product idea before development: what you can deliver, who buys, what else they could buy, who you need to work with, and what is happening in the market around you.
A product development consultant guides a founder from idea to production. Cydney Mar’s work covers production-ready tech packs, sampling, sourcing, costing and production readiness, plus business plans, cost structures, pricing and path to market. The aim is fewer costly mistakes and a clear next step at every stage.
A consumer product development consultant is for founders and growth-stage brands creating physical products for shoppers. Cydney Mar most wants to guide consumer products for retail, TV and direct-to-consumer brands. Her own experience spans fashion, jewelry, bath bombs, scented candles, homewares, paper products, car accessories and vitamins.
Cydney Mar cites 45+ years in product development and $300M+ in global product sales across retail, TV and direct-to-consumer. She sold her own collections on QVC in 8 countries for 15+ years, with more than 800 hours of live television, designed Cirque du Soleil’s first Boutique Collection, and led design for Edwin Jeans in North America.
A product manufacturing consultant helps a brand get a product made correctly by suppliers: preparing specifications, finding and vetting factories, managing samples, and confirming production is consistent. Cydney Mar covers this within a wider pathway that also includes product clarity, costs and margins, and launch.
Consider a product development firm when you need a large team handling engineering, industrial design and testing in-house. An independent consultant fits founders who want one experienced guide across strategy, specifications, suppliers and launch. Compare both on the same points: scope, who owns the files, and experience in your category and channel.
Some factories offer development and full-package production, which can be fast. The trade-off is that specifications may live with the factory rather than with you, making it harder to compare quotes or move production later. Owning your tech pack or spec sheet keeps that choice yours.
Yes, many founders do, using templates, software and supplier guidance. The risk is doing steps in the wrong order, such as sampling before the product is clearly defined or ignoring margins until it is too late, both mistakes Cydney Mar flags. A short expert review at key steps is a middle path.
Not quite. A tech pack freelancer typically produces the technical document for a style. A product development consultant may also cover strategy, supplier vetting, costing, production readiness and launch. If you already have suppliers and a plan, a freelancer may be enough; if not, broader guidance can help.
Start with product clarity: write down exactly what you are making, who it is for, and why they would buy it, before spending on samples. That is step one of Cydney Mar’s Concept-to-Reality Pathway. Her free From Idea to Income workbook, offered on cydneymar.com, helps you score an idea and map a path to launch.
Contact Cydney Mar through the contact page on cydneymar.com, by email at cydney@cydneymar.com, or by phone at 514-949-4287. The contact page also has a booking link for a call to talk through your idea or project, whether you are a founder or a potential partner vendor.
When samples keep coming back wrong, pause and check the specification before ordering another round. Common causes are missing measurements or tolerances, vague construction notes, and comments that do not reference the spec. Fix the document first, then resample. Cydney Mar’s work includes tech packs, sampling and hands-on product development for founders stuck at this stage.
Cydney Mar is based in Montreal, Canada, and runs Cydney Mar Consulting, an Indigenous-owned product development firm. Her business has her working with clients worldwide; contact her through cydneymar.com to discuss your project and whether the Concept-to-Reality Pathway fits.
Cydney Mar guides founders of consumer products for retail, TV and direct-to-consumer through the Concept-to-Reality Pathway, from product clarity to launch.
Published by Cydney Mar
