Cue the Papa John vanishing act.

Papa John’s, the embattled 5,212-unit pizza chain, has sent precise instructions to its store owners on how to remove every last image and signature of founder John Schnatter from its locations.

Store owners should remove Schnatter’s signature from the wooden paddles used to take pizzas out of the oven — and replace it with images of vegetables or cheese — and swap out window signs featuring a smiling Schnatter with online ordering signage, according to the seven-page email, a copy of which was obtained by The Post.

A total of 10 items to be removed include a wall poster of Schnatter and NFL great Peyton Manning and even signage on Papa John’s pickup trucks.

The directive provides a peek into how Papa John’s marketing strategy will play out minus its famous pitchman — who stepped down as chairman of the company he founded in 1984 and who has been banned from talking publicly about the company since it was revealed last month that he uttered the N-word during a May in-house media training conference call.

The board of the Louisville, Ky., chain also passed a poison pill that bars Schnatter, who already owns 29 percent of the company, from increasing his stake by more than 15 percent.

Schnatter, in turn, has hired a high-power Los Angeles lawyer and has sued the chain to obtain documents that he claims will cast his racial slur in a new light.

Nonetheless, the chain continues with plans to erase every bit of Schnatter from its stores.

Plaques hanging on walls depicting Schnatter and explaining how the pizzas are made are to be replaced with photos of a dough maker titled “our FRESH DOUGH story.”

Franchisees are told they can replace the photos of Schnatter’s beloved gold Camaro with one of two options featuring a Garden Special veggie pie or one called The Works.

“In most cases the Camaro plaque can be unscrewed and the plaque screwed back in,” the company helpfully advises.

Franchisees are instructed to remove the cutouts of Schnatter and Manning, which include a “Welcome to our Stores” banner, but are told that “there is no replacement for this item.”

Manning sold his 31 Papa John’s franchises this year in response to Schnatter’s claim in October that the company’s sales had slowed because of football players who took a knee during the national anthem. Papa John’s had been the official pizza sponsor for the National Football League, but the NFL dropped the company.

The tab for the Schnatter purge, while not disclosed, will be picked up by corporate, according to a source.

Papa John’s did not immediately respond to a query.