Also known as a 'design spec', tech packs are the blueprint of your design. In short, it is a range of files containing all the technical information about your product, preparing your designs into clear and detailed informative files ready for your factory.

Many factories and suppliers will request a tech pack so that they can see the detailed specifications of your design. This will help to ensure you are getting realistic estimates and minimise multiple sample requests, getting you to production smoother and faster.

Also known as technical flat, fashion flat, spec drawing or CAD (computer aided design), technical drawings are a precise and detailed drawing of your design. Transforming your rough sketch or photo reference of the design concept into a detailed and accurate flat drawing.

Technical drawings allow you to see how the item will look once it has been produced. They are an essential part of the design process and are ideal for meetings with suppliers pre-sampling stage to help them visualise the designs you would like to produce. They can also be used for marketing and line sheets post production if you havn't had a chance to get a photoshoot of the actual product.

A lookbook is basically a catalogue/book/magazine of your design, product or service. It's an editorial showcasing your work in the best possible way to help show your brand in the most flattering way.

Lookbooks are used to market your brand, by showing it to retail buyers and potential customers getting more exposure and renewed interest. Traditionally lookbooks were made just for print, but nowadays they are mainly digital so that they can be sent via email, uploaded online to your website and social media giving it is easy access and more interactivity (such as videos and hyperlinks etc).

Line sheets are created to communicate necessary information about your product to potential stockists.Usually showing product images, descriptions and wholesale pricing information to make everything efficient for potential buyers to place their order.

Line sheets are an indispensable tool to show buyers all the information they need to place an order. In essence they communicate all the necessary information about your product in a clear way to generate sales to stockists.

In short, they tell you whats going to be 'on trend' and selling in the upcoming seasons. Trend reports are created by trend forecasting companies that specialise in monitoring the apparel and textile industry. When you see a certain style, colour or print in all the shops, now you know it's because they follow the trend reports.

Trend reports are brilliant when you are designing a new collection as they give you creative direction. If you are creating a collection of womenswear, menswear, kidswear, swimwear, activewear, loungewear, accessories, shoes, sneakers, (etc) they show you what colours, shapes, prints, textiles and trimmings will be trending going forward. Giving you the intelligence to create the next up and coming brand that customers will love (as you're on trend with what the big brands are doing) and retail buyers will likely take interest (as they follow the reports too).