Is there any reasonable way other than sanding to remove various marks (ink, etc) put on boards by sawmills, wholesalers, distributors, retailers, etc. for identification purposes. Sanding may remove more wood than I so desire leaving uneven surface. Wood needed for project in which I desire a natural finish.
No. If it's in the wood, you have to sand it off.
What kind of wood, first off?
Depending on what the marks are, "depends"... :)
Water-soluble can be washed, inks or similar may be able to be removed w/ appropriate solvents/bleach.
Pencil marks can, for the most part, be erased like on paper.
Probably the best bet is to actually buy rough-sawn or thicker material than your final finished thickness and surface it yourself, though.
The newer portable thickness planers are not that expensive and do amazingly good work for their size.
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There are ways to remove these marks, but not in a reasonable manner. Try some ink removers (such as carbon tetrachloride). Mineral spirits can safely clean wood, although probably not well at removing ink. Alcohol can safely clean off pencil marks on wood. Cleaning wood with water-based cleaners or getting wood wet can cause damage (more so to some types).
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