Creating bleeds in an imported pdf document?

There is also this really cool script from Marc Autret from Indiscripts that could help you directly in InDesign too: Indiscripts :: FillBleed | Fix Image Frames so they Meet the Bleed Edge [Update]

I agree with Luke's answers (either get the client to supply it correctly to your specs, or use Enfocus Pitstop to fix it).

The latest version of Enfocus Pitstop has an action within the action lists that does a really good job and would work in your example.

Before:

After:

If you don't have the Enfocus Pitstop plug-in, you could try using a preflight within Adobe Acrobat's print production tools. There are two custom fixups that can add bleed, but when I tested them in the above example, both did not have the desired results. I think it is meant to work with raster images, and not vector graphics.

In addition to the good information above, I would ask for a new PDF, correctly exported with bleed, although in my experience the response is likely to be "can you please fix it"?

If you have PitStop, you can create bleed where none exists, or if the PDF was created in Illustrator, you may be able to safely open it and fix the bleed, if not, then John's suggestions are your best option.

Edit, you can also place a 2nd instance of the PDF on the page, slightly enlarged and cropped, to add bleed.

There's no way to manufacture bleed from the placed PDF (images) which have none. I don't know if the example you showed is typical of all the pages, but to add bleed to the example:

• Determine what color green that is
• Make new elements (simple rectangles in this case) filled with that green and extend them into the bleed area

It would be great if the green is a known spot color and a reliable match meant you could put the new bleed-extended elements behind/under the placed PDF. But if that's not the case, a near-match could force you to put the new elements in front of/above the placed PDF, and you'll also have to replicate the numbering.