After a career as a draftsman producing designs for glass makers, tapestry makers and embroiderers in Brussels, he moved sometime before 1563 to Antwerp where he created designs for the local tapestry workshops.
Collaert engraved plates to the designs by other artists for several print publishers in Antwerp during the 1570s.
[4] He married Anna van der Heyden, with whom he had four children: Adriaen (c. 1555/65 – 1618).,[5] Hansken (Jan or Hans) (1561 – 1620/1628),[6] Tanneken and Susanna.
[5][6] The workshops of the Collaert and Galle families were close together and their works are hard to distinguish.
[7] The sword blade was made by Damiano de Nerve between 1540 and 1581 and etched by Collaert after his own design.