The best 40th birthday gift ideas are about the person, not the number: something that shows you know where they came from, what they love and how far they have come. A print of the year they were born does exactly that. It puts their birth year in big type on the wall, with real moments from that year listed around it. Below you will find our favourite designs for anyone born in 1986, plus personalised and hobby prints for when a year print is not quite them.
Which year do I need? Someone turning 40 in 2026 was born in 1986. If you are shopping now for a 40th that falls in 2027, perhaps as a Christmas present ahead of the big day, choose 1987. Both years are in our 40th birthday gifts collection.
What Is a Good Gift for a 40th Birthday?
A good 40th present is personal, lasting and easy to live with. By 40 they may well have a home full of things they chose themselves, so a gift that only adds clutter can miss the mark. Something for the wall works well because it earns its place every day, and a year print has a story built in: their friends will read it, point at a line and say "I remember that".
It also takes the guesswork out of personal taste. Each year comes in several designs, from quiet serif type to bold graphic layouts, so you can match the print to their home rather than buying something generic. Every fact on our year prints is checked before it is printed, and we keep to happy, memorable moments.
Eight 40th Birthday Gift Ideas
A4 and A3 are popular gift sizes and start from £16 for every year print below. The first four designs also come in a 1987 version for a 2027 birthday.
1. A rose print for her
If you are looking for 40th birthday gifts for her, 1986 Rose is a soft, grown up choice. The year sits in tall dusty rose numerals on warm cream, with the Roman numerals MCMLXXXVI beneath and a moment for each month of the year in two neat columns. February, for example, is the month Britain and France signed the treaty for the Channel Tunnel. Turning 40 next year? Pick 1987 Rose instead.
2. A slate print for him
The same design in slate blue makes one of our favourite 40th birthday gifts for him. 1986 Slate looks at home in a study, a hallway or above a desk, and the December line, a Christmas Day soap that pulled in over 30 million viewers, is the sort of detail that starts a conversation. For a 2027 birthday, choose 1987 Slate.
3. An arrivals board for the traveller
1986 Arrivals is styled as an airport arrivals board: four split flap tiles spell out the year on a near black sheet, with amber month tags and the year's events listed as the board's rows. It is a playful nod to the year they arrived, and it suits someone who would rather be at the departure gate. One row records a space probe photographing the heart of a famous comet. There is a 1987 Arrivals board too.
4. A contour map for walkers
For the friend who spends weekends on the hills, 1986 Summit turns the last two digits into a mountain: a bold vermilion 86 rises from teal contour lines on a cream sheet, with eight moments from the year below, each tagged as space, sport, music, charity, theatre or TV. Millions joining a charity run around the world is one of them. The 1987 Summit shows 87 in the same style.
5. A record sleeve for the music lover (1987)
Born in 1987 and turning 40 next year? 1987 Side A sets the year on the red centre label of a black vinyl record, on a bright mustard sheet, with eight moments laid out as a side A and side B tracklist. Astronomers spotting the nearest supernova seen since 1604 is track two. It suits a listening corner or a den. There is no 1986 version of this design, so it is one for the 2027 birthdays; see every design for that year in our born in 1987 prints.
6. Their own night sky
If you want personalised 40th birthday gifts, the Custom Star Map shows the stars as they appeared on any date and place you choose, in white on black with your own words underneath. Use the night they were born, the night they met their partner or the date of their wedding. It starts from £19, and like all our personalised prints it can also be bought framed.
7. A print for the whole family
A 40th is often a family affair, with a partner or children planning the surprise. The Family Story Poster reads "Every family has a story. Welcome to ours." in a classic serif, with your family name at the top and everyone's names and a "since" year at the bottom. It starts from £19 and makes a lovely joint present from the people who know them best.
8. A print for what they love doing
Not every gift needs a year on it. For a golfer, Curves of Play is a bold, flat graphic of a winding fairway leading to a green with a red flag. For someone who loves an evening drink with friends, Amalfi Spritz shows two orange spritz glasses on a sunny terrace above the sea. Both start from £16.
Should a 40th Birthday Gift Be Personal?
It does not have to be expensive, but it helps if it feels chosen for them. A few simple ways to get there:
- Think about where it will hang. Rose and slate suit calm bedrooms and living rooms. The arrivals board and the contour map have more colour and contrast, so they suit hallways, studies and dens.
- Read the lines first. Each design picks its own moments from the year, so look at the product photos and choose the one with the memories they will smile at.
- Add a note. A card that says why you picked the print, or what you remember about them, turns a nice present into a keepsake.
What Do You Get a Female Best Friend for Her 40th?
Something that reflects your friendship rather than her age. A year print in rose or a star map of a night you shared both work well, and you can club together with other friends for a larger size. If she has strong views on decor, a gift card lets her choose for herself.
When to Order and How to Send It
Every print is made to order and usually dispatched within 1 to 2 days, and UK orders typically arrive in 3 to 6 days. UK delivery is free on orders over £50. If the print is going under the tree, for Christmas we recommend ordering by early December. Tick "Mark as gift" in the basket and we leave the invoice out, so the print can go straight to them.
Left it late? Our wall art gift card lets them choose their own print and size, and it is delivered by email.
Shopping from the US? Our site shows American visitors a separate edition of these prints, with its own designs and facts. Browse born in 1986 prints to see the version for your country, and our personalised Christmas gift ideas if the birthday falls close to the festive season.
40th Birthday Gift FAQs
What year were you born if you turn 40 in 2026?
1986. Anyone turning 40 in 2027 was born in 1987, so pick that year if you are buying ahead.
Are the facts on the prints accurate?
Yes. Every fact is checked against reliable sources before it goes on a print, and we keep to happy moments rather than sad news.
Do you have prints for other birth years?
Yes. Our year you were born prints cover milestone birthdays from 16th to 70th.
Do the prints come framed?
Our year prints are sold unframed on premium matte paper and fit standard ready made frames. Personalised prints, such as the star map, can also be bought framed.
Forty years is a lot of story to celebrate, and a print that tells part of it will stay on the wall long after the party. Browse all our 40th birthday gift ideas and find the design that feels like them.
