Etching not being consistent X-axis vs Y-Axis

I’m trying to etch a new design and I’m getting inconsistent burns depending on whether the ‘frame’ (hearts and squiggles, as seen in the image) is on the X-Axis or the Y-Axis.

They’re both the same layer in light burn, same settings. As you can see, the text also shows the same type of issue.

If I rotate the print, I get the same issue, X-Axis barely burns while the Y-Axis goes deep.

I’m aiming for a shallow burn because I want to do a paint fill, but only of the words and the hearts, the squiggles are going to stay dark.

Any suggestions for what I might be doing wrong here?

I just tried another go with crosshatch checked.
This is the bottom of the etch:


The hearts on the corners etched fine. The ones on the bottom line (and the squiggles)? Barely visible.