The fluid level will read higher if the engine is off as the pump in the transmission is not circulating the fluid. This means that the fluid is draining back into the pan, which will give you a higher reading. The engine needs to be running with the gear selector in park or neutral and parking brake on (safety first) to get an accurate reading.
You should be able to see the pink/red fluid on the off-white plastic tip of the dip stick pretty clearly. As long as it's in the cross hatch area you are good.