Step-by-step tutorials for fashion product teams
Latest articles from ATFT How-To.
A digital product passport for a denim SKU demands far more structured data than a standard tech pack. Here is what production teams need to gather, field by field, before the regulation lands.
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A garment that fits beautifully in your base size can fall apart at the size extremes — and tolerance stacking across grade points is usually why. Here is how the problem builds up and how to stop it before bulk.
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A clear construction spec saves rounds of sampling. This tutorial walks you through documenting ISO stitch classes, SPI, seam allowance and thread tension so a factory sewing room can set machines correctly on first receipt.
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FOB and landed cost look like two versions of the same number, but they answer different questions. This guide breaks down each cost component and shows you which figure to reach for at every stage from initial quote to margin review.
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A step-by-step guide for production planners running two or more seasons simultaneously: how to build a backward-planned milestone calendar from your salesman sample ship date all the way back to the creative brief.
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A complete care label callout inside your tech pack eliminates factory queries and keeps you compliant across markets. Here is exactly how to build one, field by field.
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No PLM? No problem. This step-by-step guide shows production coordinators how to set up file naming, a change-log tab, and approval gates to keep tech pack revisions under control inside a shared spreadsheet or PDF workflow.
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Late tech packs, missing material approvals, siloed costing data — these six bottlenecks stall nearly every design-to-production handover. Here is how to clear each one without rebuilding your whole stack.
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A tech pack missing even one of these eight sections will cost you in sampling rounds, production errors, or delayed shipments. Here is what the cutting room, sewing floor, and QA team need before you press send.
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From missing trim quantities to uncosted packaging, these seven BOM errors are responsible for a disproportionate share of production delays. Here's how to catch and fix each one before they cost you a re-order.
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Centric PLM promises a single product record from concept through bulk delivery. Here is what production and sourcing managers need to know about how it actually works.
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From event agendas to broader governance debates, this week's signals reveal a widening gap between AI ambition and production readiness in fashion. Here is what production teams need to know.
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Techpacker built its name on making tech packs accessible without a PLM budget. This profile covers its current product, who it suits best, and what production teams should weigh before signing up.
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A production calendar built backwards from your delivery date is the single most reliable way to catch schedule risks before they become missed launches. This guide walks you through every milestone, from design brief to final shipment.
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The step between a signed-off visual and panel geometry a factory can cut is where most delays happen. Here are six tools that address some part of it — what each takes as input, what it hands on, and the manual work that remains.
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Onboarding a new supplier into your tech pack workflow does not have to mean months of back-and-forth. This guide walks production teams through every step, from access permissions to revision sign-off, so the first sample request runs smoothly.
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Six recurring costing errors quietly drain margin before a purchase order is even placed. Here is how production and costing teams can catch each one early.
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A missed sign-off before bulk cutting can cost you an entire fabric roll or a shipment delay. Work through this 12-point checklist to make sure every gate is cleared before the knives go down.
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A 3D render is a promise. A real garment on a real body is the proof. Here's what falls through the gap — and how to close it before your marketing shoot.
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A step-by-step guide for production and 3D development teams on scanning fabric swatches with Vizoo xTex, calibrating the output, and exporting files that work in 3D simulation tools like Browzwear VStitcher.
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Body scan data from fit panels can do more than inform size charts — it can stress-test your grade rules before bulk. Here's how production teams are making that connection work.
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A poorly structured factory brief guarantees a second (or third) round of quoting. This guide walks production and sourcing teams through every section of a brief that gets it right the first time.
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Without a clear revision system, factories build from outdated specs and costly errors follow. This guide walks production and technical design teams through a practical version-control framework for tech packs.
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The EU's digital product passport is coming for apparel, and the data it demands lives in your BOM and tech pack right now. Here's what production teams need to capture — and how to structure it before the deadline pressure hits.
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Seamly2D is a free, parametric pattern drafting application that runs on Windows, Mac, and Linux. This overview covers how it works, what it produces, and where it fits in a real production workflow.
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3D garment simulation can cut physical sampling costs and compress development timelines — but only when you apply it to the right categories at the right stage. This guide helps production teams make that call.
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Marker planning determines how much fabric you actually consume per unit. This guide explains nesting principles, how to read a marker report, and where production teams leave money on the table.
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AI tools can draft a tech pack cover page in minutes and pull BOM data from a sketch — but they cannot set tolerances or sequence construction steps. Here is where to trust them and where to stay in the driver's seat.
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Not all DXF exports are equal. This comparison breaks down exactly what survives the handoff from five pattern tools to a factory CAD seat — layers, notch types, grade rules, and which AAMA/ASTM variant each tool writes.
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Costly mid-sampling changes almost always trace back to the same root cause: the handover from design to production was incomplete. Here is the full checklist your team needs to clear before a sample order is placed.
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A PLM system turns scattered spreadsheets and email threads into a single product record that every team—design, sourcing, and production—reads from and writes to in real time. Here is how that connection actually works, and what it still does not solve.
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From first lab dip to bulk sign-off, colour approval is where production wins or loses margin. This guide walks your team through every stage, with the documentation habits that keep deviations traceable.
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Sending a factory your artwork file is only the start. This guide covers every spec layer your print and embroidery tech pack must include so production teams can reproduce the design accurately, run after run.
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Vague trim callouts are one of the most common reasons factories order the wrong components or place labels incorrectly. This guide shows you exactly how to specify every trim and label in your spec sheet so production runs smoothly from day one.
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A measurement chart without clear tolerances is an invitation to rework. This guide walks you through defining POMs, choosing the right tolerance by garment category, and writing it all up so your factory has no room for ambiguity.
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CMT, FOB, and DDP quotes from different factories are rarely comparing the same thing. This guide breaks down what each model includes, where risk transfers, and how to build a fair comparison.
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Fabric yield is the single biggest lever in first-cost accuracy. This guide walks production teams through the calculation, shows where errors hide, and explains how to use yield figures to audit factory quotes before they become purchase orders.
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Physical sampling eats time, budget, and material. This tutorial walks production teams through integrating 3D garment simulation into the sampling cycle — from prep to factory handover — so you can validate fit and drape before a single metre of fabric is cut.
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A structured agenda and annotation checklist for remote sample review calls — covering measurements, construction, and colour — so your factory comments are clear, actionable, and revision cycles stay short.
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A practical step-by-step guide to exporting DXF pattern files from CAD software, setting up layers and naming conventions factories expect, and checking file integrity before handover so your cutting room can nest and cut without errors.
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A practical walkthrough for production patternmakers: from choosing your base size and placing grade points to validating your nest and handing off clean DXF files to the factory.
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Vague construction notes cost you sampling rounds and goodwill on the factory floor. This tutorial shows you how to write stitch callouts, seam allowances, and assembly sequences that a sewing room can follow without sending a single query back.
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A step-by-step guide for production and costing teams on configuring a costing sheet inside a PLM, so margin decisions happen before sampling—not after.
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A garment BOM is only useful if factories can read it without chasing you for clarifications. This tutorial walks production coordinators through every section — fabric, trims, labels, packaging, and costing — with the structure factories actually need.
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Five tech pack and PLM platforms, one side-by-side breakdown. Find out which tool fits your team size, factory workflow, and budget before you commit.
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A production-grade tech pack has seven non-negotiable sections. Miss one and your factory will either guess or stop. Here is exactly what each section must contain.
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A practical, step-by-step guide to organising fit sessions and pre-bulk QA checks — so your team approves only samples that are truly ready for production.
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A concept image—whether hand-drawn or AI-generated—is not a production document. This tutorial walks technical design and production teams through every concrete step of turning that image into a complete, factory-ready tech pack.
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AI can generate a compelling fashion concept in seconds — but the road from that image to a finished garment runs through tech packs, DXF patterns, fabric sourcing, fit sessions, and QA. Here's what that pipeline actually looks like.
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