If you’re designing leather goods, you’re working with a material that doesn’t forgive “we’ll fix it later.”
Once a hide is cut, it’s cut.
That’s why a Tech Pack isn’t optional. It’s the document that turns a cool idea into a product a factory can build accurately, repeatedly, and profitably.
In this guide, you’ll learn what a leather tech pack really does, what it must include, and how it protects your budget, your timeline, and your final quality—especially when working with a manufacturer like Saccent.
What a Tech Pack actually is (and why leather changes everything)
A tech pack is your product’s single source of truth.
It translates design intent into production reality: dimensions, materials, construction, finishes, tolerances, and sourcing details.
In apparel, a factory can sometimes “save” a weak spec because fabric is standardized and more adjustable.
In leather? The material is organic, irregular, expensive, and full of variables (yield, defects, stretch direction, thickness). That means vague instructions turn into:
- wrong construction choices
- inflated quotes (because the factory must protect itself)
- wasted leather and extra sampling rounds
A good tech pack prevents all of that—before it costs you money.
Why manufacturers need a tech pack (and why you need one even more)
1) It turns guessing into quoting
A factory can’t give a precise price from a sketch or mood board.
They need details to calculate:
- labor time (operations and complexity)
- material consumption (including yield and waste)
- hardware and reinforcement requirements
When details are missing, the quote becomes a padded estimate—because uncertainty is expensive.
2) It protects yield and controls leather cost
Leather is bought by area, but used by pattern pieces.
And because hides are irregular and have natural defects, yield is never 100%.
That’s why your tech pack must support the difference between:
- Net consumption (pattern area)
- Gross consumption (what must be purchased after yield loss)
Example logic from the report: if patterns total 5 sq ft net and yield is 75%, gross purchase becomes 6.66 sq ft.
When you don’t specify grade and defect tolerance, the factory may assume a lower yield to be safe—which pushes your cost up.
3) It reduces disputes (and defines liability)
Your tech pack functions like a specification contract.
If your pack says “Zipper” and you receive nylon instead of metal, the factory can reasonably say: you didn’t specify.
If your pack says “YKK #5 Excella, Gold Finish” and you receive nylon, responsibility is clear.
4) It reduces waste and sampling loops
Without a tech pack, development often becomes “sample-first”: iterate until it looks right.
That can mean 4–5 rounds of samples fixing misunderstandings about size, structure, or pocket placement.
A spec-first approach (tech pack first) can reduce this to the essentials (fit sample + PPS), which saves material, time, and shipping.
The anatomy of a professional leather tech pack
A strong leather tech pack isn’t one page. It’s a set of pages that cover every production decision.
Here’s what “professional” looks like.
1) Cover sheet (identity + version control)
This is the page that prevents “Final_Final_V3.pdf” chaos.
At minimum, include:
- Style number and style name
- Season (if relevant)
- Sample size
- A clean technical sketch (front view is the minimum)
- Date + version (v1.0, v1.1…)
- Your contact info
Why it matters: factories handle many projects. If your parts, patterns, or emails get separated, the cover sheet reconnects everything to the correct style.
2) Technical sketches (flats) with callouts
Art sketches show vibe. Flats show geometry.
For leather goods, your flats should be vector-based and include the views the factory actually needs:
- front + back
- side/gusset view (volume)
- top + bottom (closures, feet, base construction)
- interior view (pockets, logo patch, organization)
- cross-sections when layering matters (shell + reinforcement + lining)
Then comes the part most people skip: callouts.
A flat without callouts is still a guess.
Instead of: “stitch here”
Use specs like: “Topstitch 3mm from edge, SPI 10, Ticket 40 bonded nylon thread.”
3) Bill of Materials (BOM)
The BOM is the recipe for one unit.
Leather goods BOMs are more complex because materials come from different industries (tanneries, metalworks, textile mills, chemical suppliers). That’s normal.
Your BOM should be organized clearly:
- shell leather
- lining
- reinforcements
- hardware
- thread
- edge finish
- packaging
For each item, include consumption per unit and—when possible—supplier + SKU/code. That prevents silent substitutions (especially with zippers and hardware).
4) Specification sheet (measurements + tolerances)
This is where your product becomes numbers.
Define Points of Measure (POM) like:
- body height
- base width
- gusset depth
- strap drop
And don’t forget the part that prevents arguments: tolerances.
The report’s standard tolerance guidance:
- +/- 0.5 cm for main dimensions
- +/- 0.2 cm for smaller details (like pocket placement)
Without tolerances, “slightly off” becomes subjective.
5) Construction details (the pages that separate “nice sample” from “production-ready”)
Leather goods are engineered objects. Your tech pack must show:
- seam constructions
- turned edges vs raw edges
- reinforcement mapping
- skiving requirements
- hardware attachment method
This is where luxury-level structure comes from: the “invisible” architecture.
Leather-specific specs you must include (or your sample will surprise you)
Yield, grade, and defect tolerance
Leather isn’t uniform. Your tech pack should define what’s acceptable so the factory can cut with confidence.
Include a leather characteristics section that clearly separates:
- acceptable natural marks (example from report: slight neck grain on gussets, minor healed scratches on back panel)
- unacceptable issues (open scars, holes, active rot, flay cuts, uneven dyeing)
This reduces disputes and aligns expectations.
Leather type and tanning method
Your pack should specify:
- animal type (cow/calf/goat/sheep)
- tanning method (vegetable vs chrome)
- grade expectation (full grain/top grain/split)
These choices change appearance, rigidity, finishing behavior, and how the product ages.
Skiving (non-negotiable for clean construction)
Skiving is how you avoid bulky edges, uneven folds, and “homemade” thickness at seams.
Your tech pack should specify:
- where skiving happens
- how wide (e.g., 12mm)
- final thickness (e.g., down to 0.8mm)
- purpose (turn-in, overlap, sharp fold)
If skiving isn’t specified, factories may skive too little (bulky) or too much (tearing risk).
Reinforcement and finishing: the hidden quality drivers
Reinforcement map
If you’ve ever wondered why your prototype looks “floppy,” it’s usually reinforcement—not leather.
Your tech pack should show where materials like Salpa, Texon/Bontex, Velodon/Tyvek, EVA foam, or canvas/interlining are applied and why.
Example-level specificity from the report:
“Reinforce magnetic snap attachment area with 0.5mm Velodon tape and leather washer.”
Edge finishing protocol
Edges define price point.
Your tech pack must state the edge finishing method (raw, burnished, painted, or turned) and the exact protocol where applicable.
Example spec style from the report:
“Edge paint: 2 coats base, 2 coats color (Pantone …), 1 coat matte varnish.”
Hardware specs and attachment
Hardware is both decoration and a stress point.
Specify:
- base metal (brass, zinc alloy, stainless steel)
- finish (gold plating, PVD, antique, etc.)
- attachment method (screw-back vs rivet, etc.)
The report also highlights a common durability detail: applying threadlocker to screws to prevent loosening.
How to hand off your tech pack to a factory (so it actually works)
A tech pack isn’t “send PDF and pray.”
Use a handover protocol:
- Schedule a quick review meeting (video is fine).
- Go page by page: materials, construction, reinforcements, finishes.
- Ask the key feasibility question: “Is this construction efficient for your machinery?”
Factories like Saccent have decades of practical knowledge. When they suggest a construction tweak for durability or efficiency, your tech pack should be updated and versioned—not debated over email screenshots.
Revision control (do this or you’ll lose weeks)
Every change should create a new version, with a clear revision history like:
“v1.2: strap width to 25mm; lining changed to cotton twill.”
And when a number changes, visually highlight it (red text or marked callouts). Don’t assume anyone will notice a small spreadsheet edit.
Tech Pack “Ready to Send” checklist
Before you approach Saccent (or any factory), your pack should answer these questions without a phone call:
Do you define the product clearly (style ID + version)?
Do your flats show all necessary views (including interior)?
Are callouts detailed enough to remove interpretation?
Is the BOM complete with codes/SKUs where needed?
Do measurements include tolerances?
Have you specified leather type, grade, tanning, and defect tolerance?
Is skiving mapped and measured?
Is reinforcement mapped (not implied)?
Are edge finishing steps defined?
Is hardware specified and attachment defined?
Bottom line
Approaching a leather manufacturer without a tech pack forces the factory to guess.
And in leather goods, guessing gets expensive fast: wasted hides, wrong construction choices, vague quotes, delayed sampling, and avoidable disputes.
A strong, leather-specific tech pack flips the relationship from “interpretation” to “execution.”
It protects your design, your budget, and your timeline—and it helps manufacturers like Saccent deliver exactly what you imagined.
