T-shirt tech pack: every number a factory asks for
A t-shirt looks like the simplest garment to spec, and it is. That is exactly why a vague t-shirt tech pack is expensive: there is nothing complicated to hide behind, so every gap turns into a guess, and every guess turns into a second sample.
This page lists what a factory actually needs for a tee, with real numbers from our free boxy heavyweight tee.
In this guide
The points of measure
Grade rules turn one size into six
Tolerances are what let you reject a sample
Fabric weight decides how the tee feels
The construction lines
Trims and labels
Start from the free tee
The points of measure
All widths are flat measurements, taken with the garment lying on a table — a flat chest of 60 cm means 120 cm all the way round. Numbers below are size M on our free tee.
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Body length, high point shoulder to hem — 70 cm
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Chest width, 1 cm below the armhole — 60 cm
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Hem width — 60 cm
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Across shoulder, seam to seam — 56 cm
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Sleeve length from the shoulder seam — 22 cm
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Sleeve opening, flat — 21 cm
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Armhole, straight — 27 cm
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Neck width, seam to seam — 19 cm
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Front neck drop from high point shoulder — 9 cm
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Back neck drop from high point shoulder — 2.5 cm
Grade rules turn one size into six
Each measurement needs a rule for how it changes per size. They are not all the same, and this is where most first tech packs fall apart.
On the free tee: chest and hem grow 3 cm per size, body length 1.5 cm, across shoulder 2 cm, sleeve length 0.75 cm, sleeve opening 1 cm, neck width 0.5 cm. Back neck drop does not change at all.
That last one matters. Applying one flat percentage to every measurement is what produces an XXL with a neck like a bucket.
Tolerances are what let you reject a sample
A tolerance is the amount the factory may be out and still be correct. On the free tee, chest, hem, length and shoulder are ±1 cm; sleeve length, sleeve opening, armhole and neck width are ±0.5 cm; the neck drops are ±0.3 cm.
Tight tolerances on small measurements, looser on big ones. If you leave the column out, a chest that comes back 3 cm wide is not technically wrong, because nothing said it was.
Fabric weight decides how the tee feels
GSM is grams per square metre. A promotional tee is often 150–180 GSM. A normal retail tee sits around 180–200. What people mean by a heavyweight streetwear tee is roughly 240–280.
Our free tee is 260 GSM single jersey, 100% ring-spun combed cotton, pre-shrunk, with an acceptable range of 240–280. Ring-spun matters: it is smoother and stronger than open-end cotton at the same weight, and it costs more.
If you plan to garment-dye, say so and allow 3–5% extra length for dye shrinkage, or your tees come back shorter than the spec.
The construction lines
Never write "standard construction". Standard is different in every factory. Write it out:
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Shoulder: 5 cm drop, overlocked, back-neck-to-shoulder tape
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Neck: 1x1 rib band, 2.5 cm high, cover-stitched at 0.6 cm
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Sleeve hem: 2.5 cm twin-needle cover-stitch
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Body hem: 2.5 cm twin-needle cover-stitch, straight and square to centre front
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Side seams: 4-thread overlock, straight, no taper
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Stitch density: 12 stitches per inch
Trims and labels
Say where each one goes, not just that it exists. "Care label at left side seam, 15 cm up from the hem" is a placement. "Care label" is a question.
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Neck tape — 1 cm cotton twill
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Main label, or a printed neck label if you want a tagless finish
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Care and content label at the left side seam
Start from the free tee
Everything on this page is already in the template: front and back flats with the measurements marked, the full graded chart XS–XXL with grades and tolerances, the fabric block and the construction notes. Change the colour, the weight and the size range, then export the PDF.