<?xml version="1.0"?>

<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0201</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2003-11-04</periodOfReport>


    <notSubjectToSection16>0</notSubjectToSection16>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0001100976</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>HUMATECH INC</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>HUMT</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001128031</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>WILLIAMS DAVID G</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>1959 SOUTH VAL VISTA, SUITE 130</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>MESA</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>AZ</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>85204</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>1</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>1</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
            <officerTitle>President/CEO</officerTitle>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>

        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2003-11-04</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>P</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>2500</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>0.4</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>A</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>8350630</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>

    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">Of the 8,350,630 shares beneficially held as of November 4, 2003, 4,307,375 of those shares are directly held by the Reporting Person. The remaining 4,043,255 shares are held by Willow Capital, L.P. (&quot;Willow&quot;).  The Reporting Person does not have voting or dispositive power over the shares held by Willow, however, he does have a pecuniary interest in that he is the beneficiary of proceeds that may be received from the sale of the shares.</footnote>
    </footnotes>


    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>/s/ David G. Williams</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2003-11-04</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>

</ownershipDocument>

