Carved signs are made by different processes.  

Wood is removed - using chisels, routers, rasps, and flexible shaft rotary cutters. Lettering is often cut into the surface. Bas-relief sculpting is a technique which gives an impression of full dimension by varying edges and contours. It is especially effective for logos or images, because of the eye's ability to detect nuances of light.

Unlike sandblasted signs, bas-relief carved signs have a true 3-dimensional aspect.