How to Write a Leather Tech Pack for an Indian Factory: A Checklist for UK, EU and US Brands
Updated: 23 hours ago
A leather tech pack is the document that tells an Indian factory exactly what to make: technical drawings with measurements, the leather specification (animal, grain, tannage, finish, thickness in mm and colour), every component, construction and stitching details, branding and labels, packaging, and the tests and AQL level the order must pass. Updated October 2026.
The more precise it is, the fewer sample rounds you pay for in time. This guide shows what UK, EU and US brands should put in each section, with the gaps that most often cause a wrong first sample.
Key Takeaways
A complete leather tech pack has nine parts: cover sheet, drawings, measurement and grading chart, leather spec, bill of materials, construction, branding and labels, packaging, and quality and testing.
Specify leather thickness as a millimetre range, such as 1.0–1.2 mm, measured by ISO 2589, not as "medium" or "soft".
As of October 2026, leather articles in contact with skin sold in the EU must stay below 3 mg/kg chromium VI (Regulation (EU) No 301/2014); write this into the compliance page.
Send physical references (approved swatch, colour standard, reference product) with the PDF where you can; the first sample is the test of the tech pack.
Number every revision; most sampling delays come from factories and brands working from different versions.
What goes into a leather tech pack?
A leather tech pack contains everything a factory needs to cost, sample and produce the product without guessing. The table below lists each section, what to put in it and a common gap to avoid.
Section | What to include | Common gap |
|---|---|---|
Cover sheet | Style name and code, season, revision number and date, target quantity, Incoterm and destination | No revision number, so old versions get sampled |
Technical drawings | Front, back, side and inside views; close-ups of details; all dimensions in mm | Mood images instead of flat technical drawings |
Measurements and grading | Base-size measurement chart, tolerances (e.g. ±3 mm) and the full size range | No tolerances, so every deviation becomes a dispute |
Leather specification | Animal, grain, tannage, finish, thickness range, colour reference, hand feel | "Soft black leather" with no thickness or finish |
Bill of materials | Lining, sole unit, insole, reinforcements, zips, hardware, thread, with supplier or reference | Hardware finish and size not stated |
Construction | Stitch type and stitches per cm, edge finish, seam allowances, reinforcement points | Edge finish left to the factory |
Branding and labels | Logo method, size and position in mm; label text, size and position; hangtags | Logo artwork only as a low-resolution image |
Packaging | Box or polybag, dust bag, tissue, inserts, carton size, carton marks, units per carton | Carton marks missing until the goods are packed |
Quality and testing | Lab tests required, restricted substances list, AQL level for final inspection | Tests requested only after bulk is made |
How should you specify leather in a tech pack?
Describe leather with measurable attributes, not adjectives. Two factories reading "premium soft leather" will buy two different materials; two factories reading the spec below will buy almost the same one.
Animal and grain: cowhide, buffalo, goat or sheep; full-grain, corrected/top-grain or split.
Tannage: chrome, vegetable or chrome-free. If you are unsure, read our chrome-tanned vs vegetable-tanned leather guide.
Finish: aniline, semi-aniline, pigmented, nubuck or suede, plus any print or emboss. Our guide to aniline, semi-aniline and pigmented finishes explains the trade-offs.
Thickness: a millimetre range per component, for example 1.2–1.4 mm for a shoe upper and 0.8–1.0 mm for a lambskin jacket, measured by ISO 2589.
Colour: a physical colour standard or an approved swatch; a Pantone reference alone is a guide, because the same colour looks different on leather and on paper.
Traceability: whether you need leather from an LWG-rated tannery and hide origin documents for your due-diligence file.
How does a footwear tech pack differ from a jacket tech pack?
The sections are the same, but the reference points and critical measurements change. Footwear is built around a last and a sole unit; outerwear is built around a body block and panel matching.
Element | Leather footwear | Leather jackets and outerwear |
|---|---|---|
Base reference | Last shape and code, size scale (UK, EU or US) | Body block and base size, size chart |
Critical measurements | Heel height, shaft height, toe shape, topline | Chest, back length, shoulder, sleeve length, hem |
Key components | Sole unit, insole board, toe puff, counter, shank | Lining, zips, snaps, interlining, shoulder pads |
Leather planning | Cutting from prime areas of the hide for vamps | Shade-matching panels across the whole garment |
Labelling | EU materials label for upper, lining and insole, outer sole | Care label, composition and origin labels as your market requires |
Which compliance rules belong in a tech pack for UK, EU and US buyers?
Put your destination-market rules on a dedicated compliance page, so the factory buys compliant materials before cutting rather than discovering a problem at lab testing.
EU and Great Britain: chromium VI below 3 mg/kg in leather in contact with skin, under REACH Annex XVII entry 47 (Regulation 301/2014, retained in UK law). See our chromium VI testing guide for EU and UK importers.
EU footwear labelling: the material of the upper, the lining and sock, and the outer sole must be shown by pictogram or text, under Directive 94/11/EC.
United States: state whether products need California Proposition 65 testing or warnings; our Prop 65 guide for leather shoes from India covers the details.
Your own restricted substances list (RSL): attach it and name the tests and limits you will check.
How detailed should construction and branding instructions be?
Detailed enough that two different factories would make the same product. For leather goods, these are the points to fix in writing:
Stitch type, stitches per cm, thread type, thickness and colour.
Edge finish for each edge: painted, burnished, folded or raw.
Seam allowances, skiving and reinforcement points such as tape at stress seams.
Logo method (blind deboss, foil emboss, metal plate, woven label), size and exact position in mm from a reference edge.
Label and hangtag text, size and placement, with vector artwork.
Packaging: box or polybag, dust bag, tissue, silica gel, carton size, units per carton and carton marks.
What happens after you send a tech pack to an Indian factory?
The factory reviews it, raises questions, quotes and makes a first sample that you check against the tech pack. A typical sequence is: review and queries, costing and quotation, proto sample, your comments and a new revision, pre-production or size-set sample, then bulk production with final inspection to an AQL level under ISO 2859-1.
For the detail of each stage, read how leather sampling works with an Indian factory and what a leather manufacturing quotation from India should include.
How Sanwas International works with brands
Sanwas International is an LWG-certified OEM and private label leather manufacturer based in Jalandhar, Punjab, India, producing footwear, outerwear, furniture leather and hides for brands in India and worldwide. We work from your tech pack, whether it is a full PDF package or a partial one with reference images, and raise questions on any gaps before sampling. Orders start under 500 units per style, sampling runs from 72 hours and bulk from around 30 days, and orders are checked with AQL inspection.
See our OEM manufacturing services and private label leather manufacturing, or send your tech pack for a sample quote.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can an Indian factory make a first sample from my tech pack without a physical reference sample?
Yes, if the drawings, measurements and materials are complete. A physical reference shoe or jacket, or an approved leather swatch, is not required, but it usually cuts the number of sample rounds because the factory can match feel, colour and construction directly. Without one, expect your comments on the first sample to do more of the work.
What file format should a leather tech pack be in?
Send a PDF for drawings and construction notes, plus an editable spreadsheet for the measurement chart, grading and bill of materials so the factory can cost from it directly. Supply logos as vector files (AI, EPS, SVG or vector PDF). Put a revision number and date on every page so both sides always work from the same version.
Do I need a full tech pack for a 300-unit private label order from India?
Yes, but it can be short. A small order still needs drawings, a measurement chart, the leather and component spec, branding positions and packaging, because a 300-unit order is made the same way as a large one. Sanwas International accepts orders under 500 units per style, and a clear tech pack is what keeps a small first run on time.
What should the tech pack say about Incoterms and compliance for a shipment to the EU or UK?
Put the Incoterm (for example FOB, FCA, CIF or DDP), the destination port or city and your carton-marking rules on the cover sheet, so packing and documents match your freight plan. On the compliance page, state that leather in contact with skin must stay below 3 mg/kg chromium VI (REACH Annex XVII entry 47, also applied in Great Britain) and, for footwear sold in the EU, the material labelling for upper, lining and insole, and outer sole required by Directive 94/11/EC, as of October 2026.
How can I protect my design when I send a tech pack to a factory in India?
Sign a non-disclosure agreement before sharing full files, mark each page confidential and share only what is needed for sampling and costing. Registering your trademark, and where relevant your design, in your sales markets and in India gives you enforceable rights; take advice from an IP adviser for your specific case.
Have a Tech Pack Ready? Request a Sample Quote
Brands, sourcing managers, retailers and importers: send your tech pack or reference images with the product category, leather type, target quantity per style, delivery city or destination country, preferred Incoterm and target delivery date. Sanwas International supplies buyers across India and exports worldwide.
Include these details in your enquiry:
Product category and style (footwear, jacket, upholstery leather, hides or crust)
Leather type, finish and colour
Target quantity per style and colour
Delivery city in India or destination country, plus preferred Incoterm
Target delivery date and whether you need a sample before bulk
Contact Sanwas International
Mob: +91 8728858686
Address: 308 Leather Complex, Kapurthala Road, Jalandhar, Punjab 144002, India
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