Techpacks, Swatches & Samples: What Serious Brands Send Before Production

You’ve got a killer design. You found a supplier. Now you just send a few references and let them figure it out, right? Wrong.

If you’re serious about your streetwear brand - especially as you scale - you need to think like a designer and operate like a manufacturer. That starts with three underrated tools: techpacks, swatches, and samples. These aren’t “extras.” They’re essentials. And they’re often the difference between getting what you envisioned… and getting a batch you regret.

1. What is a techpack - and why it’s your production blueprint

A techpack (technical package) is a detailed document that includes:

• Product sketches or flat drawings

• Fabric and material specifications

• Measurements + tolerances

• Stitching details, trims, placements

• Label and packaging requirements

• Pantone color codes or dye formulas

• Print/embroidery artwork + positions

Think of it as your production playbook. It tells the factory exactly how to make what you want - no assumptions. Without a techpack, your manufacturer is guessing. And guesses = inconsistency, delays, and costly fixes.

At HEM Apparel Blankwear, we encourage all scaling brands to create techpacks (or we help them build one) before any custom production begins. It makes collaboration 10x smoother.

2. Swatches: touch it before you trust it

A swatch is a small fabric cut - usually 10cm x 10cm - that lets you physically check:

• Color accuracy

• Fabric weight & drape

• Texture & softness
  

• Stretch, transparency, shrink potential

• Dye consistency & finish

Too many new brands skip this step and approve based on photos. But lighting, screens, and compression distort reality.

One LA-based brand told us: “We approved based on Zoom. When the real fabric arrived, it looked cheaper - and felt like gymwear.”

Always request swatches - especially for:

• New fabric types (jersey, terry, fleece, blends)

• Pigment or garment-dyed options

• Any dyed-to-order production

At HEM Apparel Blankwear, we send swatches as a standard for any custom or premium production order.

3. Samples: your last line of defense

A pre-production sample (PPS) is your golden checkpoint. This is where you:

• Try the actual fit on-body

• Check seams, neckline tension, sleeve shape

• Test printing or embroidery on real fabric

• Assess wash behavior (shrinkage, fade, twist)

• Get feedback from friends, stylists, or customers

In streetwear, fit is identity. Even a 1-inch shift in shoulder or length can change the energy of your piece. You can’t fix a bad batch - but you can fix a sample. So don’t rush it. Wear it. Wash it. Break it.

Pro tip: Make sure your supplier records all sample changes before bulk cutting.

4. Why This Process Saves Time (and Money)

Some brands say: “I just want to move fast - I’ll deal with quality later.” 

But moving fast with poor controls = delays, refunds, and wasted drops. A proper techpack + swatch + sample process:

• Catches errors before mass production

• Aligns you and your factory clearly

• Makes reorders easier and more consistent

• Builds long-term trust with your supplier

• Saves you from having to explain to angry customers

1 week spent on sampling can save you 4 weeks of fixing production disasters.

5. What serious brands do differently

Here’s what we see from brand owners who scale well:

• They don’t rely on chat screenshots - they send formatted briefs.

• They keep a swatch & sample library to track changes across drops.

• They mark up samples with pins or tape - not just verbal feedback.

• They update techpacks every time they adjust something.

These brands don’t just “hope it turns out okay.” They build systems that ensure quality. And as a result, they move faster and better.

Final thought: Amateurs guess. Professionals document.

If you want your brand to be taken seriously - by your factory, your customers, and even future collaborators - you need to act like a builder, not just a creative.

The more clearly you communicate before production, the more powerful your product becomes.

So before your next drop, ask yourself:

• Do I have a techpack - even a simple one?

• Have I touched the actual fabric?

• Have I lived with the sample - not just looked at it?

Because the difference between a product and a prototype is what happens before the production starts.