For many transmissions, you have to read the dipstick with the engine
running,
and for some the tranny had to be in Park.  Now many things have changed,
but
you could always examine both sides of the stick at a variable lighting
angle and
detect the level, even if low color level made it difficult.

It can sometimes be hard with engine oil too, because the oil in the
dipstick tube
will often wet the stick over a broad area.

Be patient, take several readings, and vary the angle of the light on both
sides
of either dipstick.

   If the stick is metal, "smut it up" when it is dry with a match.  Sure,
it takes some heat, but "burning" dipsticks used to be the way to read oil
levels on older cars.  Wipe off excess, but don't clean out the grooves and
lettering!  Should do same on tranny fluid.  HTH, s

This may take some doing ......try getting the dipstick ( Auto trans )
'powder coated in Matt Black' or paint it, it will help you in getting
a clearer reading, i know - i got my readings right after coating the
dipstick.

Mine is extremely difficult to read('94 Ford Escort) and I've never
really figured out how to resolve the problem. Mine is supposed to be
read in drive after being warmed up.  Even if mine were powdercoated it
wouldn't help. It seems that inserting it into the hole gets fluid
running down the sides of the stick so you really can't be sure where
the level is. What I do is to run the car to warm, turn it off, and
keep wiping the dipstick and measuring until I can see it clearly
before too much drains back into the sump.

I find on some I have to turn the dipstick to avoid that.  Some only
slide easy one way, but can still be made to slide in almost sideways
twisted to the easy fit.

Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's - Gone to the rust pile...
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Always follow the manufacturers directions- usually you check the fluid
with the transmission fully warmed up, idling in either neutral or park.
This is the opposite of the engine where you should NEVER check the oil
with the engine running, only with the engine off. IF its "3 inches over
the full level" then you're obviously checking the trans fluid with the
engine off.

Also, I find that it helps to pull the stick out, wipe it off, and then
WAIT 2-3 minutes before re-inserting it to check the fluid level (leave
the car running, of course). That allows any fluid clinging to the
inside of the dipstick tube to drain back down so the stick doesn't pick
up any fluid from the sides of the tube.