How to Make a Tech Pack with AI: Step-by-Step Tutorial
Step-by-step tutorial on making a complete garment tech pack with AI — from design concept to exportable PDF with flat sketches, BOM, measurements, and construction notes.
What you will build in this tutorial
By the end of this guide, you will have a complete tech pack for a garment of your choice — cover page, flat sketches, bill of materials, measurements, graded sizes, construction details, colorways, labels, and costing — generated and refined using AI.
This tutorial uses Skema3D but the workflow principles apply to any AI-assisted tech pack process. The key is understanding what each section needs and how to guide AI to produce accurate, production-grade output.
Step 1: Start with a clear garment concept
Open a new design project and describe your garment. Be specific about category, fit, fabric, construction, and target market. The more precise your initial brief, the more accurate your tech pack will be.
For this walkthrough, we will use a unisex heavyweight hoodie: boxy fit, cotton fleece, kangaroo pocket, set-in hood, ribbed cuffs and hem, targeting the US streetwear market.
- Name the garment type and category explicitly
- Specify fit family: slim, regular, relaxed, oversized, boxy
- Include fabric type and weight if known
- List key construction features: pocket type, closure, hood style, seam details
Step 2: Generate front and back renders
Generate front and back views of your garment. Review them for accuracy against your brief — check pocket placement, silhouette proportions, sleeve shape, and construction details.
If something is off, iterate through chat. Say 'make the shoulders more dropped' or 'add a center-front YKK zipper' and regenerate. Lock the design before moving to tech pack generation.
Step 3: Generate the tech pack
Once your design is locked, generate the tech pack. The AI will produce all standard sections based on your garment context — category, fit, fabric, construction, and colorway data all feed into the generation.
Review each section in order: cover page for correct metadata, BOM for fabric and trim accuracy, measurements for base size specs, graded sizes for range consistency, and construction for assembly logic.
Step 4: Review and edit with AI chat
Use the tech pack chat to make changes. Text-based edits like changing a colorway, updating fabric weight, or adjusting the season field update immediately. Structural edits like adding a chest pocket or changing the closure type will also update the flat sketches.
Ask questions too — 'what seam type is best for heavyweight fleece?' or 'should I use a YKK 5VS or 3VS for this weight?' The AI provides advisory responses based on garment construction knowledge.
- 'Change primary colorway to forest green' — updates colorways, BOM, and cover page
- 'Add interior chest pocket with zipper' — updates construction, BOM, and triggers sketch update
- 'What GSM range works for a winter hoodie?' — returns advisory answer without changing data
- 'Change sample size to L' — updates measurements and graded size reference
Step 5: Verify flat sketches
Flat sketches are generated as clean line art from your garment renders. Verify that they accurately show construction details — seams, pockets, closures, topstitching, and artwork placement.
If you made structural edits in the chat, the sketches will regenerate automatically. Check that the new sketches match your updated spec.
Step 6: Export to PDF
When all sections are reviewed and accurate, export the tech pack to PDF. The export produces a multi-page document formatted for manufacturer review — each section gets its own page with consistent headers and professional layout.
Share the PDF with your manufacturer, pattern maker, or production team. All specifications, measurements, and construction notes are in one document with no loose files or version confusion.
Common mistakes when making tech packs with AI
The most common mistake is accepting the first generation without reviewing each section. AI tech packs are strong starting points, not finished documents. Always verify measurements against your fit intent, check BOM entries against your actual suppliers, and confirm construction notes match your manufacturing capability.
The second most common mistake is being too vague in the initial garment description. Garbage in, garbage out — a brief that says 'hoodie' will produce a generic tech pack. A brief that says 'heavyweight boxy hoodie with raglan sleeves and kangaroo pocket' will produce something much closer to your actual intent.