Houbraken specialised in portraiture and reproductive engraving using a precise burin technique. His style favoured the clarity of traditional copperplates over the looser lines of etching. He frequently worked on large-scale biographical projects that required a consistent hand across hundreds of individual plates. His skill in translating oil paintings into monochrome prints made him a preferred engraver for Enlightenment scholars. He focused on capturing the physical presence of his subjects through careful cross-hatching and tonal control.

Modern collectors value these prints for their technical accuracy and historical weight. They provide a visual record of the Dutch Golden Age through the eyes of an 18th-century craftsman. The portraits possess a formal gravity that suits a study or a gallery wall. Each print represents a physical link to the scholarly world of the 1700s. They remain popular because they combine fine draughtsmanship with the permanence of the engraved line.