A method of refilling an ink bag that is used in an ink jet recorder, the ink bag is initially filled with ink through an opening in the bag, and is sealed after the ink bag is initially filled. The method comprises the steps of removing the ink bag from the ink jet recorder, positioning the ink bag, inserting an ink needle into a separate opening in the ink bag that is different than the first opening through which the ink bag is initially filled with ink, discharging ink from the ink bag through the second opening, and charging the ink bag through the second opening with a specified quantity of ink.