There is disclosed a method for packing articles, liquid or loose material in film bags which are conveyed through a filling station in a continuous web of bag items, wherein the bag openings are kept open for reception of articles, after which the bags are closed and separated from the web. In order to increase the filling rate and make the bags cheaper, the bag web is provided with a central support region extending longitudinally of the bag web and connecting bag items that are disposed side by side transversely of the web. The central support region is conveyed on a support rail along the conveyor path through the filling station and formed as an entirely or partially closed channel. The peripheral areas of the bag items at the outermost opposite bag opening edges of two juxtaposed bag items are brought into guiding connection with guide means adapted for retaining and guiding edge areas at opposing bag opening edges along a conveyor path through the filling station. In connection with this passage, the guide means will force the bag opening edges apart for successive opening of the bags in the filling station, and then, after filling the bags, joining the bag opening edges for closing the bags again.