Garment Quality Control: Using Tech Pack Specs for QC Inspection
How to use tech pack specifications for garment quality control — QC checklists, measurement tolerances, AQL standards, and defect classification.
Tech packs as QC reference documents
Your tech pack is not just a production document — it is your quality control reference. Every specification in the tech pack defines an inspection criterion. Measurements define what to measure and what tolerances to accept. Construction notes define what seam types and stitch quality to verify. BOM entries define what materials should be present.
QC inspectors use tech pack specifications to objectively evaluate finished garments. Without clear specifications, quality is subjective — and subjective quality leads to disputes between brands and manufacturers.
Measurement-based QC
Measurement inspection is the most critical QC step. For each POM in your tech pack: measure the finished garment, compare against the target measurement, and verify it falls within the specified tolerance.
Standard QC measurement procedure: measure 3 randomly selected garments per size from the production run. If any measurement falls outside tolerance, flag it for review. If multiple measurements fail, the production lot may need to be re-inspected or rejected.
Construction quality inspection
Construction inspection verifies that assembly matches tech pack specifications:
- Stitch quality: consistent SPI, no skipped stitches, no broken threads
- Seam alignment: seams straight, no puckering, no twisting
- Bartacks: present at all specified stress points
- Topstitching: consistent width and SPI, no wandering
- Closures: zippers operate smoothly, buttons secure, snaps function
- Labels: correctly positioned, legible, content matches spec
AQL standards and defect classification
AQL (Acceptable Quality Level) defines how many defects are acceptable per lot size. Common AQL levels for fashion: 2.5 for critical defects (safety issues), 4.0 for major defects (affect function or appearance), and 6.5 for minor defects (cosmetic issues not visible during normal wear).
Tech pack specifications help classify defects: a measurement outside tolerance is a major defect. A missing bartack is a major defect. A loose thread is a minor defect. The tech pack provides the objective standard for defect classification.
Improving quality through better specs
The best way to improve production quality is to improve tech pack quality. Complete, clear, consistent specifications give manufacturers and QC teams an unambiguous standard to build and inspect against.
AI-generated tech packs improve QC outcomes by providing more complete specifications than typical manual tech packs. More complete specs mean more inspection criteria, which means more defects caught before shipment.