There’s a certain type of sign hanging on every Main Street in America, seen on every road trip exit ramp, and shining brightly above the doorways to our local car mechanic, salon, and bar. These plastic, bubbly, lit-up signs have quietly ingrained themselves in our history and cultural identity here in the US, sometimes without thought or recognition, guiding us into the businesses that have sustained our local communities and economies for decades. And once you’re aware of their folk art glory, you’ll notice that they are…everywhere. Found deep in online message boards, niche Facebook groups , and Flickr accounts, these 3D “vacuum-formed” signs are referred to as pan-faced signs, Signtronix, Dynalites, thermoformed signs, or vacu-form signs. Whichever way they are known, these names all lead to a 3-dimensional plastic sign with embossed letters dating back to the 1950s. And oh boy, this style of signage is just the tip of the iceberg in the history of sign design.…