How to brief a bag factory so the first sample is close
A tech pack is not a description of a bag. It is a set of decisions that removes ambiguity before metal is cut.
Most first samples fail for reasons that were knowable on day one. The fabric was specified by look rather than by weight. The tolerance was never stated. The reference sample was a photograph. None of these are factory problems; they are briefing problems.
Specify fabric by construction, not by adjective
“600D polyester” is a start, not a specification. Add the coating, the denier tolerance, the backing and the colour fastness requirement. Two mills can both supply 600D and deliver two different bags. If the fabric is carry-over from an existing product, send a physical swatch — photographs cannot convey hand feel.
Give one reference sample and state what must match
A reference bag is worth a page of description, provided you say which attributes are fixed and which are negotiable. Shape and pocket layout may be fixed while stitching density is open. Without that distinction, a factory will optimise the wrong variable.
Write the tolerance before the first sample
Bag dimensions move with material and fill. State the acceptable range for length, width, depth and handle drop, and state how the bag will be measured — flat, filled, or on a form. Buyers and factories frequently measure correctly and disagree completely.
Hardware is where programmes drift
Zipper pull, slider, D-ring and buckle specifications should be named by type and finish, with a photo of the approved part. “Gunmetal” covers a wide range of greys. Approved physical hardware avoids the second round.
Put the test plan in the brief
If the bag must pass a strap-pull test, a seam-strength test or a colour-fastness test, say so before sampling. A sample built to pass is cheaper than a sample rebuilt to pass.
A short brief that works
One reference sample with fixed and open attributes marked. Fabric and hardware by construction, plus physical swatches. Dimensions with tolerance and measurement method. Target market, use case and expected load. Test plan and any labelling or packaging requirements.
Send those five things and the first sample is usually a colour or a pocket away — not a rebuild.