The Hortus Indicus Malabaricus is a monumental 12-volume illustrated herbal describing 740 Malabar plants that was compiled by Dutch East India Company official Hendrik Van Reede in the 17th century. This article traces the various processes that went into the making of this manuscript, showing how Dutch military artists interacted with local scholars to create pen-and-ink drawings that were later converted into copperplate engravings drawing on different styles.